The Dale Residences Set to Open Soon

After two-and-a-half years of renovations, repairs, supply shortages and problem-solving, the Dale Residences in downtown Holdrege will soon welcome its first residents and visitors.

Famous people such as The Three Stooges and Gene Autry have rested their heads at the hotel. Now, the renovated apartments will be home to professionals looking for a unique small-town downtown living experience close to dining, movies, drinks and shopping. Renters won’t have to purchase anything as they move into minimalist-style fully-furnished apartments that are clean, fresh and simple.

The Dale Residences will lease 25 apartments and 5 Airbnb units.

Owner Nancy Clark and her crew have spent the last few years on every detail of the building from security to décor.

“It was a massive project,” she said. “It’s like peeling the layers of an onion. Once we peeled back one layer we’d find something else that needed to be fixed. We’ve worked hard to make sure we are meeting a high standard of safety.”

Clark is part of Colorado-based company Christopher Hayden LLC, which purchased the Hotel Dale in September 2020 at a public auction. Her company has also purchased and restored similar buildings in other small towns, including “The Max” in Lamar, Colo.

PCDC assisted with the project by awarding GO! DREAM grants to replace windows and to add a new canopy to improve the exterior appearance.

Floors two and three of the remodeled Dale Residences will open first. Floors four through six will open once a new custom elevator is installed, hopefully in the next few months.

Clark has enjoyed decorating the space and creating a downtown living experience that will be inviting, especially to workers who commute to Holdrege.

“I’m guessing from the calls I’ve had that this will be helpful because some people just don’t want to drive that far to work in Holdrege,” Clark said. “I think that this will be a solution for them.”

She envisions The Dale being a quiet home to Holdrege professionals. Cleanliness is emphasized, and a company has been hired to clean the public areas of the building once a week.

Rent prices will start at $900. A two-room 800 square-foot apartment with a bedroom and full bath plus kitchen/living room in the second room is $900 a month. An extra large 1,400-square foot two-bedroom (or 1 bedroom plus in-home office) with a full bath and half bath and kitchen and living room will rent for $1,200. Utilities and internet are included in the rent. Residents can pay $50 a month for a guaranteed parking spot behind Brewster Place, which Clarks purchased in early 2022.

A laundry room with quarter-operated machines and a community room featuring a ping-pong table, theater-type chairs and big screen TV are also available at The Dale.

The new windows installed in the summer and fall of 2022 improved the exterior look of the building, which was constructed in 1931. And, they improved energy efficiency and block outside noises.

Clark chose a clean minimalist design for each room. Everything, from the tables to the furniture and walls, in the apartments is white.

“If it’s white, I probably bought it,” Clark said. “It’s just a really fresh look.”

Clark said they decided to turn the smallest rooms into Airbnb rentals.

“These are small rooms, and they aren’t sufficient for people to live in,” she said. “We just thought they would be great Airbnbs. They will be perfect for a business traveler or a couple spending the weekend in Holdrege.”

The Dale Residences employs a general manager, Damien Payne, who lives onsite with his family. He is there daily to answer questions, make repairs and respond to residents' concerns.

For more information or to apply to live at or rent an Airbnb at The Dale Residences, please visit www.thedaleresidences.com.

For more information about PCDC GO! DREAM and other grants, visit https://www.phelpscountyne.com/business-services/go!-programs/go-dream-programs.