DEVELOPER SELECTED: BLUE STAR
SIX STORY HOTEL WITH PARKING GARAGE
After discussing the matter behind closed doors for about an hour, council Thursday night authorized City Manager John Connet to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with Blue Star Hospitality of Fletcher to build an 88-room hotel and five-story parking garage on the 1.5-acre lot.
The Blue Star plan includes a 9,272-square-foot, 200-person conference space with 9,000 square feet of retail space, a rooftop bar and a second-story restaurant. The parking garage would have 224 spaces, with the potential to add another 53 spots.
The city wants to sell the Dogwood lot off Church Street for the hotel and use the proceeds to invest in public parking.
As part of the project, the city also wants a parking garage that could be used for hotel employees and guests, as well as public parking for the city. A similar setup can be seen at the Aloft Hotel in Asheville.
The city selected Blue Star among the two developers that answered a requests for proposals.
