Arkansas hotel withdraws appeal contesting notice

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.—The owner of a landmark hotel in central Arkansas has withdrawn an appeal contesting the city’s revised notice of unsafe conditions at the establishment.

Hot Springs’ initial notice threatened to close the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa if repairs to its exterior were not completed by November. But a revised notice gave the hotel until Oct. 29 to submit a building evaluation and repair plan, canceling the November deadline, the Sentinel-Record reported.

The Board of Zoning Adjustments was going to hear an appeal by Sky Capital Group on Wednesday contesting the revised notice, but the company, which owns the hotel, deemed it unnecessary after a building evaluation released Oct. 27 affirmed the hotel’s safety.

The evaluation conducted by Cromwell Architect Engineers over five weeks included recommendations to temporarily address the city’s safety concerns until completion of the hotel’s $30 million renovation announced in August.

The report “determined that the building in its current condition, with the steps taken as recommended in the report, can be safely occupied until the renovations begin in the next 18 months,” said Al Rajabi, CEO of Sky Capital.

“The remediation steps outlined in the Cromwell report have been implemented, and the property remains safe for the public.”