Rowan News

Empire Hotel Holdings and its development arm no longer hold exclusivity over negotiations to redevelop the Empire Hotel after the developer rejected a final proposal made by the city and the Downtown Salisbury Inc. (DSI) Board of Directors, opening up redevelopment options for the site.

In July, Salisbury and the DSI proposed a $700,000 purchase price with incentives from the local government for meeting project deadlines, the city’s website reported in September. The purchase price was good through Dec. 31. Empire Hotel Holdings and its development arm, Black Point Investments, made a counterproposal that was rejected.

With DSI’s announcement of the redevelopment project, the city knew a lot of work would need to be done to succeed, Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander said in the release. Positive points in the years of negotiations include two Brownfields assessments, parking and marketing feasibility studies, listing on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Salisbury Historic District and listing as a local Historic Landmark. The property is now eligible for Historic Tax Credits.

“The Empire Hotel is positioned quite well now, particularly as a property within an Opportunity Zone, and is more marketable for additional development proposals,” Alexander said in the release. 

Whitney Wallace Williams, DSI immediate past chairperson, told the city that the DSI has formed an Empire Development Task Force to search for a new developer.