By Joel Langton
DEL RIO, Texas — The revitalization of downtown Del Rio is picking up speed, as Megan and Brannon Ellisor, a couple from Midland, Tx, has bought the old Beall’s Building at the corner of Main and Canal Street.
Their vision is to revamp the building, add a fitness center, boutique hotel, drop and play indoor playground and rooftop restaurant. NuVani Beauty School will remain.
The name of the restaurant and hotel will be The Veranda and the anchor for the nearly 30,000 square foot facility is Anytime Fitness, located on the bottom floor. The business has the potential for a 30-person staff.
The Ellisors planned on launching a similar facility in Midland, but with the COVID crisis and the price of oil sinking to record lows, the Midland economy tanked, forcing them to look elsewhere.
The couple was already familiar with Del Rio. “We purchased a lakehouse in Rough Canyon a few years ago and had planned on retiring here,” Megan said.
They owned rights to an Anytime Fitness franchise and the company suggested Del Rio. “I’m a sucker for historically old buildings and that’s how we ended up downtown,” Megan said. “I fell in love with the old Bealls building.”
The building, built by Louis Lindheim in 1877, is nearly 150 years old. “In the early 1900’s it housed the Roach-McLymont store, known as the largest department store in Southwest Texas,” said Michael Diaz, The Whitehead Museum executive director. “Beall’s moved in sometime in the 1960’s.”
Anytime Fitness has 4,000 franchised locations around the world and is a 24-hour health and fitness club.
This isn’t the Ellisors first rodeo when it comes to renovation projects. “We renovated several old buildings in downtown Alpine and can’t wait to get started in Del Rio,” Megan said.
The ribbon cutting is probably 12 to 18 months out, she said.
