A new $5-million boutique hotel is planned for Charlotte, N.C., and it will be affiliated with Choice Hotels International's Ascend Hotel Collection.
The 100-year-old Lawyers Building on Main Avenue in Charlotte, N.C., is being transformed into an Ascend Collection property after sitting unused since the 1980s. The building will open in two phases, with the first block of 40 rooms opening in March 2017. Also included in phase one is a penthouse area, rooftop bar and a 120-seat restaurant. Phase two, which will consist of 65 rooms, is expected to be completed in 2018.
Development on the property began in 1916, and it opened as the First National Bank in Gastonia in 1918. It received its current nickname, the Lawyers Building, after converting into an attorney's office. Now a member of the National Register of Historic Places, the property requires special considerations for all renovations.
The redevelopment of the building is planned to coincide with the $20-million Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment district, which will bring a new baseball stadium to Charlotte for concerts and events.
The Lawyers Building consists of seven levels of space, including a mezzanine. Developer Nathan Kirby is leading the project, and also owns the Commercial Building across the street, which he plans to restore for use as commercial space.
“It’s going to be a game-changer for downtown,” Kirby said in a statement.