Wilson Downtown Development Corporation has released a request for proposal (RFP) for the Orange Hotel.
Project Manager/Downtown Business Specialist Aramith Trimiar says Wilson Downtown Properties “is hoping to find someone who is experienced in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and capital structuring, especially as it pertains to the use of Historic Tax Credits. Additionally, we would like to work with someone that will honor the rich history of the property, maintain its cultural integrity, and have an end-use that can be a catalyst to the redevelopment of the area in general.”
Here’s a peek at the RFP, which can be found in full here.
The current floor plan. (I think. Where are the bathrooms?)
A possible renovated layout creating four apartments.
Contact Trimiar at atrimiar@wilsonnc.org for more information.
The famous (and infamous) Orange Hotel was on the market again recently — for something north of $50K. The listing seems to be have withdrawn, though I don’t think the building sold.
While in Wilson, I took an opportunity to take a closer look.
The Orange Hotel has been hard-used for most of its 116-year existence and has stood empty for the last five or so. It’s not falling down, but it’s in pretty bad shape. One of the corbel-capped chimneys collapsed and was replaced by a squat brick structure. The turned porch posts with their curved brackets are largely intact, however.
“A balustrade of slender turned balusters connects the posts on the second story; a replacement railing of ‘x’ shaped two-by-fours is on the first story. The first story entrance has a double door with a two-pane transom; a single door is on the second floor.”
The turned balusters on the second floor are also mostly in place, but the front double-door is now a plain single door.
“The narrow windows contain two-over-two in plain surrounds.” These windows must be seven-feet tall.
“The rear elevation is occupied by a one-story ell.” I assume that that rickety staircase at right was added after 1984, and perhaps the shed-roofed enclosures at center as well.
