Carrboro hotel plan nears approval

Another hotel could be coming to Carrboro in the near future if the project can get through the Board of Aldermen’s review process.

The hotel is under development by a joint venture between Atma Hotel Group Inc. and Main Street Properties of Chapel Hill. The two groups submitted an application to the town government to change the lot’s zoning rules to accommodate the new hotel.

Jeff Kleaveland, town zoning development specialist, said the two groups are in the home stretch now.

“They want their project to go to the joint advisory boards in the first week of December,” Kleaveland said. “They’re on target for it.”

Kleaveland said this means the zoning change will go in front of the Board of Aldermen in January.

This is not the first time the lot has been considered for development. The Carrboro ArtsCenter and Kidzu Children’s Museum wanted to develop the lot into the Carrboro Arts and Innovation Center, before a lack of local funds ended the idea.

But many feel that the hotel will be different. The lot is near a parking deck, which could be helpful for guests.

The driving force for the construction of the hotel is the success of the first Hampton Inn the Atma Group opened in Carrboro. The new hotel will also be a Hampton.

“The hotel exceeded expectations,” Board of Aldermen member Bethany Chaney said.

Manish Atma, president of Atma Hotel Group Inc., said the new hotel will benefit the community greatly.

“It will create 75 jobs and 12,000 feet of convention meeting space,” Atma said.

Atma is also the owner of eight hotels located throughout the Triangle and the state.

Atma said the additional convention space will bring in more business to Carrboro, as people meeting in the new hotel will likely spend their money in downtown.

Board of Aldermen members were not yet ready to say if they supported the hotel’s construction.

“There is an argument to be made that too many hotels make the downtown seem more like a transient node rather than a community,” Chaney said.

Board of Aldermen member Jacquelyn Gist said there are questions people have about whether Carrboro needs two hotels.

“Is this the best way to develop? I have no feelings yet,” Gist said.

Both board members agreed they were anxious to hear from the community.

“It’s going to look like a brother to the current Hampton Inn,” Atma said. “It will match and fit in.”

Like the current Hampton Inn, the new hotel will be five stories. It will also house 150 rooms and an indoor swimming pool, according to Atma.

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