Empire Hotel redevelopment proposal advances after key milestones
SALISBURY — The Empire Hotel redevelopment project is moving forward, as developer Black Point Investment continues to meet goals and work on proposed financing, according to the city of Salisbury.
The project recently was approved for North Carolina Historic Tax Credit and Landmark status.
Black Point Investments partner Britt Weaver said the process took longer than expected for “several reasons.”
He said the project is actually three separate buildings that make up the “Empire block,” thus requiring three separate historic preservation applications.
Second, he said historic preservation tax credits typically address exterior property features such as facades and windows, while the Empire project also has interior historic preservation constraints.
“These include preserving the mezzanine and staircase in the former Montgomery Ward department store and maintaining the former hotel hallways,” he said. “These design constraints required project concept redesigns resulting in added time to the project.”
(Salisbury Post, 12/1/18)