A new 112-room luxury hotel planned for Oxford will bring pieces of Greenwood to the university town.
Brett Person, a retired Greenwood doctor, has negotiated the path of construction, from selecting a site to getting the necessary permits, and is now looking forward to construction.
Person's inspiration came from hotels in Florida, around the areas of Destin and Ft. Walton Beach, where he owns real estate.
He chose Oxford because of its rapid growth and his target audience. "There's just something going on every day."
The Chamber of Commerce hosts many events, Square Books features writers who read from their works, and alumni always come in and out to visit Ole Miss, he said.
With only a little background in real estate, Person had to learn from scratch how to create a hotel.
The search for property began almost a year ago in January around the town square.
All Person could find was a city-owned parking lot. Two other businesses had shown interest in the parcel, directly behind Oxford City Hall.
He got the land by bidding the most. By August, the city had formed a committee and approved the proposed hotel.
Bits and strands of red tape still remain, but Person expects construction to begin in the spring. The hotel should be open for business by late 2007.
He describes working alongside the city as a "give-and-take process."
Person has planned the hotel exterior in a Greek revival architectural style, which dominated American building styles from 1818-1850.
The building will be constructed from stucco and brick to link the old and new already present in the downtown.
"I want it to melt into the landscape, compliment the city," Person said.
He even plans a civic plaza for walking between the hotel and Oxford City Hall.
Person is also building a parking garagewith 201 covered parking places to replace the parking lot the city lost for the hotel.
Jondi Brackeen, who designed The Alluvian in Greenwood, will craft the inside.
Specifications call for large guest rooms in the 115,000-square-foot, three-story hotel.
Expect the rooms to have all the amenities, the majority which will be classified as king suites with a bedroom, bath and dressing room and an adjoining parlor with seating area, fireplace and bar, complete with Viking beverage center and microwave oven on the other.
Brackeen and Person's wife, Ann, expect the hotel to have a boutique look. The 115,000-square-foot hotel two bars and a spa, developed by WATS International of Silver Springs, Md.
Person is enthusiastic about the cutting-edge technology he plans to install in his hotel.
Clerks will activate a room upon check-in. By the time the guest arrives, the temperature will be set, the curtains automatically opened and the lights turned on.
Guests can program the room during their stay. If you want an 8 a.m. shower, the shower can automatically turn at 7:55 a.m. at the desired temperature.
"I just love this kind of stuff," Person said.
