Fond du Lac city officials are excited about the impact a renovated Retlaw Hotel will have on the downtown and overall tourism economy. Hotel owners provided an update on the $25 million renovation project during a gathering at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts Thursday afternoon. Owner Dennis Doucette told WFDL news earlier this week that interior renovation work will begin next week and a grand opening this coming fall. President of the Fond du lac Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Craig Molitor says he’s happy the hotel is being saved and restored. “What a shame that would have been to lose this Grande Dame of a hotel,” Molitor told WFDL news. “These guys (owners) definately took a difficult path. I’m personally super grateful to them for doing it because we’re going to get a gorgeous property in this town.” The Hotel Retlaw first opened in 1923 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
