STEELE CREEK NEWS

Hotel Planned at Arrowood and Sandy Porter Roads

(May 8, 2008) The corporate tenants at Whitehall Corporate Center are looking for certain amenities, and the owner is happy to oblige. They asked for a hotel, and American Asset Corporation made plans to bring in Cambria Suites, part of the Choice Hotels International group.

In order to build the hotel, however, they need approval of an amendment to their previously approved plan for the site at the corner of Sandy Porter Road and Arrowood Road. See Petition 2008-090.

The proposed revised plan for Centre Green at Whitehall is below. Here is a description of the numbered buildings on the map:

1. A 3-story conference center for the hotel.

2. A 4-story hotel containing a maximum of 135 rooms and having a maximum height of 60 feet.

3. A small commercial building, which could be a bank or restaurant. According to restrictions on the current site plan, which are not being changed, this cannot be a restaurant with a drive through window, a gas station, or a car wash.

4. A day care, which has a tenant under contract.

5. A building for offices, shops, or restaurants. This building is complete but has not tenants yet.

6. A building of shops and restaurants. This building has been complete for over two years and houses a Quiznos, Siam Garden Thai restaurant, the Whitehall Fitness Center (an amenity for corporate tenants), and other shops.

7. A 1-story office building. Similar to buildings 5 and 6, this is expected to have offices for doctors, dentists, insurance agents, or similar tenants. Because it is back from the main roads, it likely would not have shops or restaurants.

8 and 9. Two 5-story office buildings currently under construction.

All the buildings except the hotel are allowed under the current zoning and site plan. The amendment is necessary to build the hotel. The public hearing is scheduled for June 16, and approval by the Charlotte City Council could happen the next month on July 21. If approval goes as the developer hopes, construction on the hotel could begin by fall.

Changes also are planned for roads.

The intersection of Arrowood Road and Whitehall Park Road will get a traffic signal, but likely not for a year or so. Left turns from Whitehall Park Road onto Arrowood Road will be blocked, but two turn lanes will allow westbound traffic on Arrowood Road to turn in to Whitehall Park Drive. The opposite will be true fort commercial center under construction across Arrowood Road. Motorists on eastbound Arrowood Road will be able to turn into this center, but they won't be able to turn left coming out.

Traffic wanting to go west towards Brown-Grier Road will have to take the driveway adjacent to the hotel to Sandy Porter Road. However, this intersection is too close to Arrowood Road to allow a full intersection. It will be right in/right out only. Traffic on Whitehall Park Drive will not be able to get to southbound Sandy Porter Road.

A buffer of trees will remain along the west edge of the property. Sandy Porter Road will have a sidewalk and an 8-foot planting strip.

Big changes are happening in Steele Creek. This development continues a trend of employment growth to go along with the phenomenal residential growth.