Leases sought for 2 bathhouses
Park service to negotiate deals to open arts center, brewery
HOT SPRINGS — The National Park Service said last week that it will negotiate leases with The Muses Inc. to place a cultural arts center at the Hale Bath House and Vapor Valley Spirits Inc. to place a microbrewery at the Superior Bath House.
The announcement was made by Hot Springs National Park Superintendent Josie Fernandez on the lawn of the Maurice Bath House. Successful leases would leave the Maurice as the only vacant building on historic Bathhouse Row.
“Our proposal is to harness the power of the famous thermal waters for good,” said Rose Schweikhart Cranson, president and distillatrix of Vapor Valley Spirits, which will use the city’s namesake thermal waters to brew beers, spirits and nonalcoholic fare such as root beer.
Superior Bathhouse Brewery and Distillery will manufacture beer by hand on site “in the traditional craft manner,” and serve customers either by the glass or in half-gallon growlers to take home, she said.
Deleen Davidson, president of The Muses, said it has taken a long time to gather information and support for the cultural arts center.
“This is the next step in the process, and it’s been a long pursuit,” Davidson said.
The Muses Creative Artistry Project operates Three Arts Cafe and Bookstore in the Hale lobby under a twoyear commercial use authorization by the Park Service, which is coming to an end.
“These ladies and their respective teams have submitted to the National Park Service proposals which meet the pre-established guidelines, are desirable and are viable,” Fernandez said.
“This announcement will be followed by letters of intent to enter into good-faith negotiations for leases of these respective bathhouses,” she said.
Previous lease negotiations have been lengthy. For example, the principals of Quapaw Baths LLC, which operates the Quapaw Baths & Spa, the first bathhouse to reopen on the Row under the historic leasing program, negotiated their lease from August 2005 until February 2007.
But Cranson said she was hopeful that the doors to the Superior will open this year.
“I will be pushing for that. I’d like to make the lease negotiations as smooth as possible. It’s not in my interest, or the Park Service’s interest, to drag it out anymore, so I’m hoping that will go smoothly,” Cranson said.
Davidson said The Muses “felt from the beginning the project was a really good fit for the city and the beautiful bathhouses, and we are just delighted and honored to be the project that’s going to help restore one of these incredibly unique and historic buildings.”
When The Muses completes its planned updates, the building will house two performing arts spaces; studios for the study of music, art and dance; meeting spaces; an artist-in-residence apartment; a wellness room for visitors to experience the mineral baths; sound therapy massage; and creativity life coaching.