Architect Stephen Perkins has worked on historic buildings all over the world, and he says he is excited about his opportunity to restore Greenwood's Hotel Irving.
The firm of ForrestPerkins, based in Washington, D.C., was recently selected to do the interior design and architectural work for the restoration of the downtown landmark.
Viking Range Corp. bought the building earlier this year and announced plans to make it a luxury hotel. The facility is scheduled to open in October 2002. No cost estimate for the project has been made yet.
Perkins said he was introduced to Fred Carl Jr., Viking's president and chief executive officer, in Washington by Carol Daily, a consultant with the Viking Culinary Arts Center.
A native of Natchez, Perkins visited Greenwood this week for the first time in 15 years to look at the Irving building. He said it is very well-made and stable and should be "one of the loveliest small hotels in the United States" when completed.
"It lends itself to a small luxury boutique hotel very well," he said. "It will be a very exciting job to work on."
Perkins said the job would be similar to some of the firm's other projects - a small hotel in a small city, where there is an opportunity to revitalize a downtown area.
It should give Greenwood a competitive advantage in attracting businesses, he said.
"You're creating a new center of social activity, and you're mending the fabric of the city in ways that affect the rest of downtown," he said.
Perkins will be developing a master plan for all the floors, including the furniture, lighting and other elements - "everything that is seen on the inside of the hotel," he said.
He also is working with the hotel's manager, Jondi Brackeen, on operational concerns such as maintenance.
Perkins runs his firm's Washington office and oversees its projects on the East Coast and in Europe.
In addition to this project, ForrestPerkins is working on the Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda; the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia; and the Palazzo Arzaga in Italy.
Perkins estimated he will make about 10 visits to Greenwood in the next year.
Brackeen said she was pleased that Perkins would be lending his expertise to this restoration.
ForrestPerkins, which was established in 1998 by Perkins and Deborah Forrest, has offices in Washington and Dallas. Perkins runs the office in Washington and oversees projects on the East Coast and in Europe.
He has provided design services for the Brown Hotel in Denver, the Willard Inter-Continental in Washington, and the Inter-Continental in New York. He also was a leader in the concept and planning for the Maihama Resort, the centerpiece of which is Tokyo Disneyland.
His business has been involved in the designs of luxury properties in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Perkins and Forrest also worked with architect Charles Moore on the renovation of the Eola Hotel in Natchez.
