Boutique hotel, restaurant slated for South Main

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - A 61-room hotel will take over the building currently occupied by Memphis College of Arts at 477 South Main Street.

Along with the new boutique hotel, developers plan to bring a new restaurant to Downtown Memphis. A special-use permit application is in the works to allow a 80-seat restaurant and a basement/Butler Avenue level bar, according to Chris Pardo, who is the architect in charge of the hotel's design.

A gym and 2,000 square feet of meeting space are also part of the design.

"We are very excited to bring this unique, high quality boutique hotel to the South Main Arts District," Pardo said. "We believe it to be a very dynamic area and are excited to be part of the transformation."

A public meeting was held last week for neighbors and area business owners interested in hearing more about the project.

Pardo said the hotel will feature off-street parking, but neighbors who attended the meeting expressed concern that there may not be enough.

Memphis College of Arts is expected to vacate the building early 2017. Developers plan to begin construction before next summer and hope to open by May 2018.

This isn't the only hotel Pardo is working to open in Downtown Memphis.

In July, renderings were released showcasing Pardo's plans for a new boutique hotel expected to open in the former Regions Bank building on Madison Avenue. That project will include a 70-room hotel, restaurant, outdoor patio, and rooftop bar.

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