The Martha Washington. The Heritage. Indigo. Exchange. The hotel located at 234 3rd Ave. N. has had many names since it was constructed in 1928 with 75 rooms.
The hotel changed hands in the late 1930s, and the new owners completed a three-story addition adding 38 rooms in 1937.
By the 1960s, the "Martha Washington Hotel for Women" offered longer-term lodging for seniors.
In 1987, the Martha Washington became the The Heritage Hotel, and in 2008, it became Hotel Indigo following a 3 million dollar renovation. Then, at the end of 2021, with additional interior and exterior renovations, it became The Exchange Hotel.
The hotel's versatility is a testament to the longevity of historic buildings, which can often have many iterations and uses over their lifetimes.
Despite being included on the city's list of potentially eligible historic properties, and being a contributing structure to the downtown National Historic Landmark District, developers recently announced plans to demolish the historic property.
The proposed project features a 28-story condo tower at 330 feet.
A demolition request submitted in May of 2022 and scheduled for review in July has been withdrawn.
A new application has been submitted and will be reviewed by the Development Review Commission on July 12, 2023.
