Eugene Hotel
Monroe, Wisconsin
In the News
A historic landmark reopened
Originally opened in 1925, the Eugene Hotel quickly became a centerpiece of life in downtown Monroe. Located on the city's historic square, the hotel welcomed visitors for generations before closing in 1981. For decades, the building remained largely underutilized, leaving one of Monroe's most recognizable landmarks awaiting a new chapter.
Today, the Eugene Hotel has been thoughtfully restored and returned to its original purpose as a boutique hotel, once again serving as a destination for visitors and a gathering place for the community. The completed rehabilitation transformed the long-underutilized building into 25 guest rooms while preserving its historic character and reinforcing the vitality of Monroe's downtown.
Studio GWA provided architectural design, historic preservation consulting, historic tax credit services, interior design, and construction administration throughout the project's redevelopment. Beyond our traditional consulting role, Studio GWA also acted as development partners and investors, therefore engaging in the planning, financing, and delivery of the project. This unique perspective allowed our team to help navigate project visioning, historic tax credit strategy, public incentives, investor coordination, and construction implementation while maintaining a clear focus on long-term project success.
The rehabilitation utilized Federal and Wisconsin Historic Tax Credits to support the preservation of significant historic features while creating a hospitality experience that meets the expectations of today's travelers. Through thoughtful design and strategic redevelopment planning, the project demonstrates how historic buildings can be successfully adapted for modern use while retaining the character, craftsmanship, and sense of place that make them valuable community assets.
The Eugene Hotel stands as a testament to the power of local investment, community partnerships, and historic preservation. By bringing together architecture, development expertise, and a shared vision for Monroe's future, the project has returned a beloved landmark to active use and created a new destination that will contribute to downtown vitality for generations to come.
