Hotel Prince Charles to be renovated to meet safety, historical standards - Fayetteville Observer
Repairs to the shuttered Hotel Prince Charles, which has several safety code violations, are expected to begin soon, its owner says.
John Chen, who bought the landmark hotel in downtown Fayetteville in 2007, also said he would like to paint a mural on the outside of the building. He acknowledged that his idea might not fly with city officials.
Chen said he has hired Fayetteville architect Walter Vick to begin renovating the 86-year-old building, which was closed in October by the fire marshal for safety reasons. Inspectors said they found holes in some of the walls and floors and smoke detectors that didn't work.
Eventually, Chen said, he wants to turn the hotel into an office building with small leased space in the former guest rooms. He said he would reopen one floor at a time, as space fills up.
"Basically, nobody will be residing in this building," Chen said.
Records show that on Aug. 4, Vick submitted engineering plans - titled "Phase 1 repairs" - at City Hall to upgrade the fire-alarm system and make all repairs to doors, walls, ceilings, electrical fixtures and fire extinguishers to comply with building and fire codes. The city approved the plans Aug. 22.
Doug Maples, who manages the city's building, plan review and inspections division, said the first phase will bring the building's interior up to code, but Chen won't be able to reoccupy it until other repairs and renovations are made. Vick is expected to detail those plans in a second repair phase that will be submitted to the city later, Maples said.
"Our goal is to address the safety issue first," Chen said Wednesday. "The building will be reopened."
The second phase will address other interior renovations, as well as the crumbling facade.
Pieces of the facade broke off this month, prompting officials to close the sidewalk on Hay Street in front of the building. Chen was required to erect scaffolding along the sidewalk to protect pedestrians from falling debris.
Vick said he'll meet with prospective contractors soon to review the interior renovations before one is hired and work begins. He said he hopes this week to interview three companies that specialize in restoring facades.
Before the city shut him down last fall, Chen was renting dozens of the rooms for long-term stay.
The building has remained closed since last fall, but city officials have allowed Chen to continue to lease two areas to bars with access directly to the street. City officials have not permitted their patrons to wander inside the hotel.
Chen has his sights set on putting a mural over all or most of the brick outside, but he said he'll have to win the public's support first. He would like the public's opinions on the design for a mural.
Would a mural make the building more attractive? "Definitely, no doubt about it," Chen said.
The idea likely won't pass muster with the city's Historic Resources Commission, which approves any exterior changes to buildings in the downtown historic district. Bruce Daws, the city's historic properties manager, said murals or the painting over bricks are not "in accordance with design guidelines for the historic district."
The hotel opened in 1925 and got a makeover in 1951. By the late '60s, the building was rented to transient laborers and prostitutes and eventually closed in the 1970s. Local investors reopened it in 1989 after an $8.3 million renovation.
The eight-story hotel was sold again and fell into foreclosure when Chen, who lives in the Bronx, N.Y., bought it at auction for $1.9 million as an investment property.
Chen has run afoul with the Historic Resources Commission twice, eventually going to court and losing. He was fined after he installed a vinyl window on the seventh floor, where a wood-framed one was required. He also allowed tenants to install window air-conditioners - another violation in the historic district. Chen removed the window units and replaced the vinyl window.
28 Aug, 2011--
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