From Staff Reports

The future of downtown Asheville’s Flatiron Building, one of the city’s most recognizable structures as it has stood tall for 91 years along Battery Park Avenue, has its tenants worried.

Developer Philip Woollcott has submitted plans to the city for a major renovation to the Flatiron that would convert it into a boutique hotel. The proposal calls for redeveloping existing office space into hotel rooms. It includes the additions of a restaurant on the first floor, a “speakeasy” bar in the basement and another bar and patio on the ninth floor and rooftop.

In a gathering Oct. 8 at nearby pub Jack of the Wood, Flatiron’s primary owner Russell Thomas told a group of tenants the building requires about $3.5 million in upgrades, which is primarily why the project is being considered.

However, as was noted in the pub meeting, the conversion would require dozens of building tenants — ranging from law firms to real estate agencies to a hair salon, among many others — to find somewhere else to work.