Standing in the heart of downtown Bricklyn Junction, the Hotel Stansbury opened in 1897. Designed by noted Bricklyn architect Grover Brickston, the Stansbury served as the focal point for major events in the life of Bricklyn residents, including weddings, concerts, dances, and a variety of other events — including the 1929 slaying of the notorious Benny Brothers by mobster Bricksy Walsh.
For many years the tallest building in Bricklyn Junction, the Stansbury’s layered appearance reflects the eclectic Victorian-era style of many buildings built in Inland cities in the late 19th century — though rarely at the scale and grandeur of the Stansbury.
Above left: Dancing at a wedding in the grand ballroom of The Hotel Stansbury. Photo from The Bricklyn Eagle archives, with assistance from Dall E-3 AI.
Above right: Scene from the popular 1967 movie “Bricksy.” The film’s final scenes of the gangland massacre were shot in the very lobby of the Hotel Stansbury where the 1929 slayings occurred. Here Bricksy Walsh (played by noted actor James Brickney) waits for the Benny Brothers to arrive before the climatic shootout — which is too violent to post here. Photo posted with permission of Brickview Films, taken with assistance from Dall E-3 AI.
On February 5, 2024, the Dunk Them Donuts corporation filed plans with the Realm of Bricklyn Planning Department to demolish the Stansbury and replace it with a high-rise office tower, to be called The Dunk, to include a mix of uses -– including office space for Dunk Them Donuts; 128 housing units (64 of which would be affordable); and a 40 room boutique hotel.
The skyscraper, to be designed by “starchitect” Moshi Saftbrick, would be topped by a dramatic revolving donut-shaped rooftop restaurant.
The project ultimately ran aground on the shoals of strong community opposition and concerns from historic preservationists.
After a series of meetings between staff from Dunk Them Donuts; the Bricklyn Planning Department; and the Office of the Federal Chancellor, alternative plans were developed and agreed to enabling rehabilitation of the historic building, while meeting Dunk Them Donuts’ corporate needs.
This effort was facilitated by Dunk Them Donuts’ agreeing to retain Salvatore B. Salero, a noted Bricklyn architect specializing in the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic structures.
Under the agreed plan, the Hotel Stansbury (to be renamed “The Dunk”) will be restored to its past grandeur, with sensitive interior modifications to allow for new functions. ✥
The Bricklyn Eagle reported on this chain of events in the following sequence of news stories:
- Proposed High-Rise “Donut Tower” Would Require Demolition of Historic Hotel
- Preservation Board “Preliminarily Denies” Dunk Them Donuts Permit to Demolish Hotel Stansbury
- Joint Planning Commission / Federal Council Committee Meets on Proposed Zoning Amendment
- Did Dunk Them Donuts Set Up a Dummy Company to Buy the Hotel Stansbury?
- Bricklyn’s Chief Prognosticator Says “No” to Downtown Bricklyn Junction High-Rises
- Bricklyn Officials and Dunk Them Donuts Reach Landmark Agreement, Saving the Former Hotel Stansbury