A proposal for a 23-story luxury hotel on Biltmore Avenue moved forward last Wednesday as the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the project.

Though the commissionís support of the project is not binding, it will carry weight as City Council debates the proposal in the coming weeks.

Commission members said they were impressed with the developersí commitment to donate a portion of proceeds from real-estate sales to support affordable housing.

The plans for the 350,000 square-foot building were approved last month by the townís Downtown Commission.

The Ellington would feature 125 hotel rooms and between 44 and 52 luxury condominiums. At 305 feet in height from the Biltmore Avenue side, it would be one of the tallest structures in the city.

Because of a difference in elevation, the building would be somewhat taller when measured from the side that faces Lexington Avenue.

The building has been described by its architects as ìneodeco,î referring to a modern interpretation of a style of architecture popular in the 1920s.

Gary Koerner, the principal architect for the project, told commission members that the hotel would be an ìurban boutique hotel,î which he said implies ìintimacy and scale of space.î

During the public-comment period that preceded last Wednesdayís vote, speakers expressed mixed reactions to the proposal.
Several speakers objected to the projectís height and raised concerns about traffic flow.

Jay Quinn told the board, ìThis thingís just way too big.î

He noted that developers had frequently compared The Ellingtonís height to that of the BB&T Building, which he said ìis too big by the estimation of most people in our city.î

Robert Malkin called the proposed building ìoverwhelming for the site.î

He added that The Ellington would be ìcolossally out of scale with the surrounding architectureî and called it a ìKing-Kong building.î

City Council candidate Elaine Lite contested the claim that The Ellington would be a ìlandmark building.î

ìThis might be a nice-looking building ... but it doesnít hold a candle to City Hall or the courthouse or the Jackson Building and itís an insult to say that,î she told the commissioners.

However, others praised the project. Kim McQueen, a downtown business owner, said that ìthoughtful, dense growth in Asheville ... is our main weapon against sprawl.î

Furthermore, she argued, greater density downtown supports local businesses.

David Starkey, the general director of the Asheville Lyric Opera, also praised the proposal and said, ìIím not quite sure why this community is afraid of growing.î

He went on to say that growth supports the arts and culture of the town and that he has witnessed a positive growth of the city since starting the ALO.

ìWhen I started the opera company in 1999, we were still trying to revitalize the city,î Starkey said. ìNow, every building is full.î

ó Jim Genaro†