Proposed Union Street Hotel Site for Lease

A "for lease" sign at 220 S. Union St. set off a flurry of community speculation about the site that could one day house a hotel on the Old Town waterfront.

Carr Hospitality has suggested to the city it would like to demolish the building and construct a hotel there. That proposal has proponents but also has been met with opposition from Alexandrians who say a hotel would cause additional parking problems and generate unwanted trash, among many other concerns.

The opponents of waterfront hotels say they are not asking for preservation of the current building at 220 S. Union, but “would like to preserve and enhance the landscapes, settings, neighborhoods, and places and features of historic significance.”

Carr Hospitality President Austin Flajser told Patch last week that his firm's intent to construct a boutique hotel at the site remains. Carr does not have an official application in with the city, but an informal proposal for its hotel plans.

The Art League previously leased the building, but its term ended so the space is being marketed for a new lease. The art school has left the site and expanded operations at its annex on Madison Street.

That area of the waterfront is not currently zoned to accept hotels but could be in the future. However, there's currently a lawsuit before Virginia's Supreme Court related to the zoning issues.

Calls to Simpson Realty, which is listed as the contact for the property, were not returned.