With the arrival of the new year, travellers will have fewer places to stay when visiting Nuckolls County and Nelson will have one less business.
Located on the hill overlooking Nelson, the OxBow Motel is slated to close at 11:59 Friday night. With the arrival of the new year, the motel which the late Frank Korbelik constructed in stages about 50 years ago will be converted into a family home.
Long time residents remember how the motel was opened when the first rooms were ready and expanded as time and demand allowed.
Earlier this month, Vince and Teresa Walton, the motel’s current owners told a Nuckolls County Locomotive-Gazette reporer about all the challenges that resulted in the closure of the motel. Built before the Americans with Disabilities Act became the law of the land, many things need to be done to make in handicap compliant.
In order to make the rooms handicap accessible, each would have to be gutted and enlarged to allow for wider doorways and accessible bathrooms. The parking area would also need to be refinished to remove the small curb in front of the entryways, allowing for wheelchairs to easily maneuver from motor vehicle to room.
Selling the stucture as a motel is not a vible option either. In order to pass a real estate inspection, the electrical wiring would need to be updated.
Unless the updates are made, the current company providing the business insurance is canceling the OxBow’s coverage.
Vince Walton retired from the Navy after 26 years of service and then went on to be the chief engineer at a shopping mall for another five years before taking on the motel. Since entering the motel business he has not left the area except for his father’s funeral and medical needs. Running a motel is a round-the-clock, 365-days-a-year responsibility
Vince is looking forward to finding a hobby during his retirment and may convert one of the rooms into a billiards room. Teresa is excited to have a larger space for her sewing, and hoping to soon be able to offer her talents as a seamstress to the community. They plan to continue selling ice at the front of the building, and plan to remain active in the community.
The couple said the motel business has been a fun and exciting adventure. They are looking for new ways to contribute to the community, since they will no longer be able to donate rooms for events.
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