One citizen in favor of the South Elm hotel

UPDATE: At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins suggests the council might remand a recent decision to the redevelopment commission to sell property at South Elm and Lee streets to the Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association.

"I sense that there will be limited support for the project in the location that's proposed, and I understand the developers are looking at other locations," he said in an interview this afternoon.

He added that he prefers that the hotel be built close to the heart of downtown rather than in a "fringe" area such as Ole Asheboro: "In my view a project like this needs to be as close to the center city as possible. More businesses benefit from it."

Above all, the councilman said it's important that the city take advantage of the federal government's low-interest private loans before the window closes.

"My concern is making sure that the $37 million is available for a major project downtown," he said. "If something else comes to the table that the council thinks is a more feasible project, then hopefully we can move forward. That $37 million is not coming back. Center Pointe is $37 million, plus or minus."

ORIGINAL POST: The comment threads at the News & Record are filling up with ag'iners and suspicioners inveighing against the proposed Ole Asheboro Hotel, and skepticism towards the project also finds a home on the newspaper's editorial page.

But one skeptic who has been won over is DJ Hardy, a board member of the Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association and a recent unsuccessful candidate for city council.

"When I first heard [about] it, I was against it," Hardy told me today. "I've changed my mind. The major reason is jobs are that critical. Something has to change the dynamic, and it's not going to be a grocery store."

He believes the project has to be bold to revitalize Ole Asheboro and put residents to work.

"To really turn around that section of town you almost need something that seems impossible," Hardy said. "You really need a game changer in terms of investment and focus."

Having met developer Bridget Chisholm, Hardy says he feels assured that her private development team is shouldering the overwhelming share of the risk, and if the project falls short of its goals the neighborhood will be no worse off.

"I too share some concern about the viability of the business," Hardy said. "When I heard $200 a night, I cringed. I wouldn't spend $200 a night. I don't run a hotel.... Greensboro does have attractions. I'm not a marketing expert.... I'm not the best person to decide whether a hotel will succeed or not.

"My concern as a citizen who lives in that area is, what is the state of that area now?" he continued. "This stimulus money means that its principal focus is to create jobs, and that area needs jobs. Unless somebody has an idea that can bring that same level of investment and it can be forwarded in the next couple of months before this stimulus money is lost, we have to move on something that's actionable."