Another boutique hotel?

[rooster8]

While browsing on bidclerk.com, I encountered this listing:

Site work and renovation for a hotel in Asheville. Completed working drawings call for the renovation of an existing 10-story, 103,500-square-foot office building into a boutique hotel with condominium units and ground floor retail.

The project plans have been altered. The general contractor is accepting subcontractor bids to be due no later than February 6, 2008.

[orulz]

I've not heard of this before, either. The only buildings I can think of that come anywhere close to that description are the Flat Iron building (8 stories) and the Public Service Building (9 stories.) I'd be more than a little disappointed to see either of these two distinguished buildings converted to more upscale, expensive accomodations for out-of-towners.

[otis-t]

The Bidclerk map shows the project on Haywood Street -- could this be something associated with redevelopment of the old Haywood Park Hotel?

[hauntedheadnc]

How many more of these damn things do we need? Jeez... It was bad enough when they were just pushing residents out in the name of gentrification. Now they're giving businesses the heave-ho also?

When I checked the listing, it linked to a map that indicates a location across the street from the Civic Center and Vanderbilt Apartments.

[orulz]

The Bidclerk map shows the project on Haywood Street -- could this be something associated with redevelopment of the old Haywood Park Hotel?

[Lootles]

Jackson Building? How many floors does that have?

[hauntedheadnc]

This is the last straw. Gentrification has done enough damage to Asheville. It's chasing people out of their neighborhoods, and they find new ones but only until Thad and Bootsie come mincing along, decide that West Asheville or the River District are just the quaintest thing they ever did see, and demand to have it too. Asheville is being converted from a functioning city into a chintzy tourist playland, and I'm sick of it.

I'm thinking of forming a group... the Asheville Livability League, dedicated to making Asheville livable for ALL, not just the rich.

Discuss.

[brokenraven]

I have to agree. I went to Asheville recently (first time in about 5 years). I was surprised (unpleasantly) at how much it had changed. I wondered where the new age mecca was that I left only a few years before. I think there's still time to save Asheville, though something needs to be done quickly.

[voyager12]

I recently visited after almost a year away and I still felt the same great vibe. The city is clearly under full scale ubergentrification though. I know that all cities go through change and I don't think Asheville's uniqueness will ever completely dissapear but that's not good enough. It should not turn into a pretty shell with all chain stores and upscale condos inside which is what my hometown of Charleston sadly became. There needs to be more focus on affordable housing and support for local businesses. Unfortunately the candidates most dedicated to these ideals were shellacked in the last City Council election. The downtown plan currently being hashed out should keep these important components in mind.

[hauntedheadnc]

I think I might know which building this posting on bidclerk is referring to. 29 N. Market Street, the former Medical Arts Building, is empty except for a couple of ground floor retail tenants, and is for sale through Sperry Van Ness, the same firm that sold the S&W Building (where the renovations are coming along nicely, by the way). I spent most of the day downtown today, and I found no mention of anything at the Public Service Building or the Flat Iron Building, and with the bidclerk mention also saying that the project is due to get underway sometime in March, you'd think there'd at least be a notice or something up.

So... I'm thinking, and desperately hoping, that it's the Medical Arts Building we're talking about here. If so, that would put it back to back with the Asheville Hotel being developed in the former Windsor Hotel, and across the street from the Sheraton Four Points being developed in the former Best Western. It's still gentrification, and that is still a bad thing, but at least it's putting an empty building to re-use and not throwing a passel of tenants out on their asses so that Biff and Muffy will have a place to spend the weekend when they're up from Buckhead.

The Medical Arts Building is about 8 stories tall, and assuming a basement and sub-basement, that would indeed put it right at 10 stories.

Does this sound plausible? Or should I still be wringing my hands about rich twits resting their heads at the Public Service Building?

[orulz]

So you think it's the building at the SE corner of Market & Walnut? Maybe that's not so bad. I didn't realize that one was mostly empty.

[hauntedheadnc]

I certainly hope it's that building. There didn't seem to be anything going on with it. The sale signs were up, and through one window there appeared to be some construction equipment sitting around.

[orulz]

I don't think any of the 3 buildings we've mentioned are very close to 103,500 square feet. The closest one is the Flat Iron building which is closer to 75,000. The one at Walnut & Market is closer to 50,000 because it's a pretty small building. Unless they're including some buildings that are next door too.

[hauntedheadnc]

I suppose that is a consideration. I wouldn't have the first idea how to estimate square footage just looking at a building.

This brings to mind the question though of which building it might be if none of these buildings are big enough to qualify. Could it possibly be one of the old hulks down in the River District perhaps? I mean, if the Public Service, Flat Iron, and Medical Arts buildings are all too small, what's left that's tall enough to make the cut?

[voyager12]

Ashvegas has a linky from The Boston Globe. Apparently Asheville is one of the "Happiest Places" in the the world. It was the only city to make the list and is in the company of Bhutan, Thailand, Iceland, and The UK amongst other places. I suppose this is both a good and bad award as the blurb makes note of the increasing development and population pressures in town.