The Tracy Inn opened on January 15th, 1927. It was built as a community project that was promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, city leaders, and various civic organizations.
For years the citizens of Tracy had realized that there was a lack of sufficient hotel and meeting accommodations. It was the intent of everyone involved in the Community Hotel Project that the Tracy Inn become the focal point and draw for an expanding area. After an initial survey made by Hockenbury Systems, Inc., and other hotel consultants, plans were drawn, and construction began. The architects on the building were Slocombe and Tuttle of Oakland. The builder was J.F. Shepherd of Stockton.
The new hotel included 60 guest rooms, a large lobby, assembly/banquet rooms, and retail/restaurant space. From the onset the Tracy Inn was designed to be pure Spanish style of reinforced concrete, with colorful awnings and hangings. The approximate cost of the property, when completed in 1927, came to $185,000.00. Financing of Tracy's Community Hotel was accomplished by selling common stock at a par value of $100.00 per share.
The Tracy Inn became a part of the Hamilton Chain of hotels, experienced and successful operators of other properties in California. Under the proposed lease, the Operating Company would not receive any profits from operating the hotel until all expenses of operation, upkeep, taxes, insurance and interest charges had all been deducted from the annual income. Thereafter, the common stockholders were also entitled to receive, when declared as dividends, 7% on their stock and 50% of the surplus profits made through the management of the property. The other 50% of the surplus profits went to the Operating Company under the terms of the lease agreement.
Throughout the years two main expansions took place. The first took place in the early 1930s to add more hotel rooms, a large banquet room, and expanded kitchen facilities. The second took place in the mid 1960s and is the section that now borders Central Ave. on the original location of Central School.
Today the Tracy Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the cornerstone for an ever expanding and revitalized Downtown Tracy.