LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Hotel got a few new touches to its elegant exterior this past weekend.
On Saturday, June 30, Middletown businessman Rick Hamilton installed three new awnings on large sets of windows on the building’s front, and three small awnings over exterior doors on the back of the building.
Since the county of Lake purchased the Lucerne Hotel – or “The Castle,” as it’s known – in 2010, the 1920s-era building has seen a lot of changes.
The Castle has had a new roof; been power washed; had stucco repaired; had new paint, windows and a new bathroom built on the main floor; new decorative balconies replaced the old ones on its seven story tower; a wooden fence has been built around the building’s grounds; and various landscaping improvements have been made.
The upgrades were necessary to preserve the building, but they have taken on additional importance as the county works with Southern California-based Marymount College on plans to establish a four-year college campus at the hotel.
Last month, both the Board of Supervisors and the Marymount College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding to proceed with developing the campus, as Lake County News has reported.
The county and college are now working on the finishing touches to the lease agreement, which would go into effect in July 2013.
The dark blue awnings are another touch that’s improving the look of the building, which sits at the heart of the town, and also preparing it for its new role as an educational center.
The blue awnings, set off against the building’s bright white exterior, also match Marymount’s school colors, which are blue and white.
View the video above for more information about the Saturday project.
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