Florence is one step closer to getting a new extended-stay hotel, which developers hope will satisfy the city’s increasing demand for business travel accommodations.
Seva Hospitality, a Florence-based development and management company, wanted to build a hotel at 5935-5495 Merchant St. Provided planning commission documents show that the hotel would be 62,000 square feet and have 99 rooms spread across four stories. Additionally, it will have a 97-space parking lot.
The firm has a history of developing hotels in the city. According to its website, the firm owns and manages the Comfort Suites and Staybridge Suites in Florence.
Seva Hospitality Managing Partner Ravi Narsinghani told the planning commission his firm wanted the hotel to support Florence’s growing market for extended-stay business travel.
“There’s still definitely a need, just with the growing business travel demand expressed, as you guys all know, Boone County, City of Florence is continuously growing, and we’re just looking to continue to support the manufacturing and the aviation, etc., here in this area,” Narsinghani told the planning commission.
Seva wants to change the 5.3-acre plot’s zoning designation from Commercial Two to Office Two, which, if approved, would permit the hotel’s development. The Office Two district allows for conditional-use hotels, motels and apartment hotels.
“The concept development plan proposes an extended-stay hotel which is consistent with that designation,” said Planning Commission staffer Steve Lilly. “The request is to allow that the hotel to have a higher building density than what would typically be permitted in the previous zone.”
On Wednesday, the Boone County Planning Commission recommended approval for Seva’s zone change request. The next step is for the Boone County Fiscal Court to give final approval on the request.
The hotel will be a LiveSmart Studios by Hilton, a new brand of extended-stay hotel that aims to accommodate guests planning to stay 20 or more nights. The rooms can be described as a hybrid between a traditional hotel room and an apartment. They feature amenities such as kitchens with a full-size refrigerator, dishwashers, microwaves, and two-burner cooktops.
Narsinghani said his firm’s internal statistics show that occupancy at extended-stay hotels in Florence sits around 80%.
The zoning recommendation came with five attached conditions, including installing decorative patio furniture, benches, and trashcans on the outdoor patio in the rear of the building’s west entrance.
The hotel’s light fixtures must also be downlit and redirected away from the neighboring Greenview Subdivision. They may also not exceed 25 feet in height in the rear of the building and will be limited to 25 feet in height on each side of the building.
Additionally, evergreen trees must be planted in a double row near the top of a slope on the property to act as a noise and light buffer for neighboring suburban residences.
