The work of restoring the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham’s Civil Rights Historic District has begun, city officials announced Wednesday.

Crews today began examining the motel to determine what types of restoration and work are needed to preserve the building’s 1960s character.

“I’m very pleased to announce that the restoration of the A.G. Gaston Motel has begun, which will become another jewel of our city and its role in the Civil Rights Movement. The A.G. Gaston Motel is sacred ground,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said during the announcement Wednesday.

In 1963, motel owner A.G. Gaston offered rooms at discounted rates to civil rights movement leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. King stayed in Room 30 in spring 1963. A bomb was detonated below Room 30 in 1963, causing significant damage. The motel closed in the late 1970s.

“I’m proud to be here to be a part of this ongoing effort to make sure that this resource that we’re standing in one day too will become a holy ground where we learn what happened here and what the people here sacrificed,” said National Park Service Historian Barbara Tagger. Tagger serves as the acting superintendent for the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

The restoration

The city of Birmingham allocated $10 million for the motel’s restoration in 2015. Federal funds are not being used for the restoration, city officials said.

The motel will be restored in two phases. The first focuses on the older wing of the motel, which opened in 1954. This wing includes the room where King stayed and the entire motel roof. The first phase of restoration work is to begin in July and be complete by June 2020.

The second phase focuses on the newer portion of the motel, built in 1968, which includes the interior, exterior, courtyard, landscaping, motel restaurant, the A.G. Gaston sign and other remaining areas. The second phase is to begin in July 2020 and be completed by December 2021.

In July, the city will also begin a series of community meetings to determine how to use the building once it’s restored.

President Barack Obama on Jan. 12, 2017 signed a proclamation designating the Birmingham Civil Rights District as a national monument.

The national monument includes portions of the Historic Birmingham Civil Rights District, including the A.G. Gaston Motel, the neighboring Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, the Colored Masonic Temple, St. Paul United Methodist Church and portions of the 4th Avenue Business District.

Woodfin is asking for those who stayed at the motel, spotted a celebrity, attended a wedding reception there or who made any other memories at the motel to send their stories and photos to gastonstories@birminghamal.gov. Submissions will be accepted until May 15.