Grand opening set for WestBank Restaurant and Convention Center
After much anticipation and a two year wait, the WestBank Restaurant, Lounge and Convention Center is planning its grand opening Saturday with a New Year’s Eve bash in mind.
The property at 525 River Parkway was padlocked two years ago. The restaurant and convention center is being managed by Colorado Hospitality. Colorado Hospitality owns the Rodeway Inn Hotel which is franchised by Choice Hotels International which franchises more than 6,300 hotels in more than 35 countries and territories.
The Westbank dates back to 1928, the year Ferris Clark, son of then-Mayor Barzilla W. Clark and the grandson of Joseph A. Clark, Idaho Falls’ first mayor, built two log buildings by the Snake River to accommodate an ever-growing number of motorists on their way to Yellowstone National Park.
Over 52 years, Clark expanded the Westbank, first with a red brick motel, then a restaurant and lounge, then a two-story red brick motel. The tower opened in 1978, and Clark reportedly had plans for a second one where the convention center and motel are, but declining health sent him into retirement in 1980. He died in 1987 at age 79.
Watch Fridays news coverage on Local News 8 and KIDK Eyewitness News 3 to preview the New Year’s bash and see how they’ve remolded a historical building.
