The renovation of the historic Hotel Weyanoke is set to begin in December, according to building co-owner Ross Fickenscher.
With this renovation, the Town of Farmville expects to gain to more hotel bed space for tourism, new restaurants and a new location for social gatherings, according to town officials.
Farmville Town Planner, Cindy Morris said Fickenscher submitted a building permit application and plans for an addition behind the building. She added Fickenscher is working on the paper work for financing the building.
Farmville Town Manager Gerry Spates said Farmville has a total of three new hotels under construction, including the Weyanoke.
“That's another 250 to 300 beds a night, so that's going to have a big impact (on lodging),” said Spates.
Morris said a market study was performed and found Farmville needs more beds due to the increase in tourism to the area. She also went on to say that local hotels tend to stay at capacity.
“If you look at Hampton Inn,” said Spates, who is building a second hotel in addition to their current property, “they wouldn't be building another hotel if they didn't think they could fill it.”
Spates added the Hampton Inn runs at 80 to 90 percent capacity during its busy seasons.
According to Fickenscher, the renovated hotel is planned to have 70 rooms, 27 in the original structure and 43 that will be added on during the renovation period. Along with these additional rooms, there will be valet parking. The current parking at the Weyanoke will not be enough to accommodate the increase in rooms, so an additional 60 spots in a nearby municipal lot will be included in the parking.
Spates added that there might be talks with the Methodist church next door for even more additional parking.
“(These new hotels) will help keep things in town,” said Spates.
According to Spates, seven percent of the town's gross income comes from the lodging and meal taxes, emphasizing the importance of money spent by travelers within the town.
According to Spates and Morris, the Weyanoke's return to a hotel will benefit from it's proximity to downtown Farmville in comparison to other hotels. The downtown area hosts popular tourist attractions, such as Green Front Furniture and Charley’s Waterfront Café.
Fickenscher also said the hotel's location will provide parents of Longwood students looking for convenient lodging an “advantaged location.”
Outside of boosting Farmville's economy through tourism, Morris said the addition of 70 new jobs created by the Weyanoke re-opening, which will have an average annual wage of $25,400.
Spates said the Town of Farmville expects an additional three restaurants in the future, one of which will be college student oriented. All of these new locations offer more options for employment in the town of Farmville.
Along with these three restaurants, the Weyanoke will include two restaurants, one of which will be located on the roof, said Fickenscher.
The main restaurant has not been announced as Fickenscher conducts market research on the area. The Weyanoke will also have a deli and a coffee shop among its food and beverage offerings.
Spates said the local economy has remained strong due to Longwood University's impact. With the addition of the Weyanoke, Spates said he foresees more business coming to the area.
Both Spates and Morris said they have heard nothing but praise from community members and local businesses regarding the Weyanoke renovation.
“A lot of folks are excited about it,” said Morris. “It being an old historic hotel that's been here for a long time.”
Fickenscher believed that “putting the historic building back to its proper use” would have a positive impact. He believed the new Weyanoke will help improve the town's tourism-focused economy by not only adding lodging, but creating a tourism destination that Morris described as a “unique boutique” hotel.
Fickenscher said he plans to disclose more information as the renovations commence this December.
