The Region : Riverside’s Mission Inn to Get Face Lift

The Riverside City Council voted to close the historic Mission Inn, effective June 30, for at least two years for refurbishing. Ownership of the hotel is expected to be transferred from the city Redevelopment Agency to a private investment and development group that bought it from the city for $3 million and promises to spend at least $24 million renovating the 84-year-old building. Plans call for the developers, Dale Keller Inc., an interior design firm, and Carley Capital Group of Madison, Wis., to convert apartments at the inn into luxury hotel rooms and do other renovating. The Redevelopment Agency, which has operated the Mission Inn for nine years, wanted to close it March 31 to reduce financial losses, but the plan was scrapped as a result of complaints from many of the 41 couples who had already booked weddings at the inn in April, May and June.