Complex sentence: After a few years of operation, there were was a long period of inactivity before the Hotel was bought by Leah Johnson, demolished then reopened as the Commercial Hotel and Chambers in 1897.
Split into simpler sentences: After a few years of operation, there were was a long period of inactivity before the hotel was bought by Leah Johnson. It was then demolished and reopened as the Commercial Hotel and Chambers in 1897.