Biltmore Village DoubleTree redevelopment project to bring new hotels, housing; cost $180M
ASHEVILLE - The DoubleTree by Hilton in Biltmore Village may soon be demolished to make way for a redevelopment project that could reshape the area near the Biltmore Estate known for its Tudor-style and historic buildings.
Asheville-based developer Biltmore Farms LLC has said it intends to tear down the hotel and redevelop the area into a series of mixed-use buildings that include residential, commercial and hotel uses connected through new sidewalk paths. The plan carries an estimated cost of $180 million, according to development documents.
The documents show plans to tear down the current DoubleTree by Hilton and build two hotels, an 88-unit apartment complex, two retail buildings and a 25,000-square-foot office building. The site is less than a mile away from the 1 Lodge St. entrance to the Biltmore Estate, one of Asheville's biggest tourist destinations and the largest privately owned home in America.
Biltmore Farms has developed numerous commercial and housing-related developments in recent years, including Biltmore Park Town Square, a sprawling mixed-use housing and commercial development in South Asheville, which has been the developer's primary project in recent years.
Biltmore Farms LLC was founded by George Vanderbilt II, who commissioned the Biltmore Estate, and is still under the leadership of Vanderbilt's descendants, according to the Biltmore Farms website.
The existing DoubleTree would be demolished to redevelop the area, project plans indicate. No timeline was given in the May 22 development plans.
One hotel would be a 116-room boutique hotel with a banquet hall, spa and a rooftop restaurant and bar. The other would be a 138-room extended-stay hotel developed near the Hampton Inn and Suites at 117 Hendersonville Road. The Hampton Inn is also owned by Biltmore Farms.
The parking currently on site would be replaced with a six-story parking deck with approximately 577 parking spaces.
The preliminary Technical Review Committee submission on the site plans, which were developed by the Hendersonville-based WGLA Engineering, indicates the development team is "working on" a traffic impact analysis study for the project.
A May 7 neighborhood community meeting was held on the project, with neighbors expressing concerns over traffic and wondering whether low-income housing would be provided in the apartments. The developer team, represented by WGLA Engineering, said there is a "possibility" some units will be dedicated as affordable and that the "earliest likely start for site work would be late 2025."
The plan has a tentative review date at the June 17 Technical Review Committee meeting, City Planner Will Palmquist told the Citizen Times May 28. Public comment is not allowed at Technical Review Committee meetings.
Other recent developments in Biltmore Village include the recently approved Kessler Hotel and the new 48-unit condo development at 75 Thompson Street that recently applied for development.
Combined Biltmore DoubleTree Redevelopment by willhofmann2 on Scribd
The Citizen Times reached out to Biltmore Farms LLC on May 22 but did not hear back before print.
The redevelopment project has applied through the conditional zoning process, meaning the project will require approval through Asheville City Council.
More: Asheville Southside Community Farm staff told they 'cannot be' on property after 2024
More: Asheville's Salvage Station to lose property to eminent domain; commits to rebuilding
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Biltmore Village redevelopment project to bring new hotels, housing
