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City seeks hotel developer for Church Street parking lot

A 2016 study commissioned by the city showed a possible development scheme for the city's Dogwood parking lot on Church Street. A 2016 study commissioned by the city showed a possible development scheme for the city's Dogwood parking lot on Church Street.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 11, 2018

The city of Hendersonville announced Thursday that it has invited developers to submit proposals for a hotel project on the Dogwood parking lot property downtown bounded by Fourth and Fifth avenues and Washington and Church streets.

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The city said in a news release that it was seeking proposals from "experienced development teams to present conceptual plans for the development of a hotel product" on the site.

"The City is seeking a developer that can successfully build a hotel and event space on the existing properties while aligning design and aesthetics with the existing downtown fabric," the RFP says. After a review period, the city staff will recommend a proposal to the City Council. "While an endorsement by Councilis not final approval, it will trigger an exclusive period of negotiation between the City and
their selected partner for a development agreement for the project. The City expects parking replacement to be an important aspect of this redevelopment." Developers must respond by Nov. 29.
In the invitation seeking development proposals, the city says that it envisions a boutique style hotel with a meeting room on the city-owned land. The city says that it would be willing to sell the property, which has a tax value of $764,600 and market value of $1,098,000, for the development and would invest the proceeds in parking spaces to replace those that would be lost. The city seeks a hotel with 80 to 120 rooms and an event space that would accommodate 150 to 300 people.
The Dogwood lot proposals comes after the city failed to recruit a developer who would convert the Grey Hosiery Mill into a hotel of similar size. A potential adaptive re-use of the historic mill is in the works for apartments and not a hotel.
The RFP notes that a 2010 feasibility study concluded that Hendersonville could support a convention center if it had more full-service hotel rooms. "That is why the city values the additional event space as a key element in a successful downtown hotel product," the city RFP says. Currently, the downtown area has event spaces that will accommodate fewer than 100 people, the city said.