Oct. 17–The Carolina Beach Town Council next month will consider a conditional-use permit for a Hampton Inn & Suites hotel that is proposed for the oceanfront near the Boardwalk.
The hotel, which would go up at 1 Harper Ave., is proposed for eight stories and 100 rooms, said town senior planner Jeremy Hardison.
Plans have been in motion for at least six years to build a beachfront hotel near Carolina Beach’s Boardwalk. A proposal for a 200-room Hilton Garden Inn on the site that was approved in 2007 fell through, a victim of the recession.
Current developers, Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial of Augusta, Ga., bought the land out of foreclosure.
CEO Vic Mills said the firm has been working on its Hampton Inn plan for two years. He said the company, which also will own the hotel, plans to break ground in February or March of next year with completion in April or May of 2015.
Mills added that timing is essential in building coastal hotels, to coincide with the tourist season.
The cost is expected to be $13-15 million. Mills said the developers will use very-high-wind impact glass, which pushes up the costs.
“Construction standards in Carolina Beach are higher than other coastal places we’ve been,” he added.
Mills said he hopes to have final approval in the next few weeks, and that the council’s scheduled Nov. 12 vote would be the final step.
“The town has been responsive and good to work with,” he said, adding that the council has been “positive and proactive.”
The hotel will have a pool, large deck area, outdoor bar and full-service dining. Mills said the rooms also will be equipped for extended stays with a small kitchenette.
Wayne Faulkner: 343-2329
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