Arlington owner undaunted by city’s demands

The new owner of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa questioned why safety concerns cited by the city have come to a head since he acquired the downtown landmark in July.

Al Rajabi said Thursday that despite the city’s intent to close the hotel if its concerns aren’t addressed by November, he’s been given no direction on how to comply with the enforcement letter the city’s chief building official issued last month.

Rajabi’s attorney, John K. Baker, filed an appeal earlier this week with the Hot Springs Board of Adjustments and Appeals that challenges the city’s authority to close the hotel without a court order.

“So far, we haven’t received any type of citation or specific item that we could address,” Rajabi said. “The hotel has been open for 93 years. It hasn’t received any type of citation or code violation that I’m aware of in that time. But in the six weeks since I’ve taken over, all of a sudden the world is falling apart.”

An engineering report the hotel’s previous owners commissioned at the city’s insistence following the June 2016 notice of unsafe conditions the city issued is the basis for the Aug. 10

enforcement letter, the city has said. The city doesn’t have a copy of the report prepared by Mid-South Engineering Co., but it has reviewed it.

The city said the report indicates water penetration could cause parts of the exterior to fall off after a freeze-and-thaw cycle.

Rajabi said the lack of direction has made him uncertain if the hotel can meet the city’s requirements by the Nov. 8 deadline. Despite his uncertainty, he said the hotel is preparing for its holiday event calendar.

“The hotel is very safe by our standards,” he said. “People are under the impression that the hotel is already closed down or is going to shut down in November. It’s affected the morale of the employees and local businesses and had a negative impact on the local economy.

“But at the same time, I’ve gotten so much support from people who live in Hot Springs and from people who’ve shared so many of the memories they’ve made at the Arlington.”

City Manager David Frasher said Thursday that the hotel’s engineering report gives it guidance on how to proceed with the repairs needed to keep the hotel open. The city has said a list of specific violations won’t be provided until citations are issued.

“The city cannot provide the hotel with engineering or consultant services,” Frasher said. “To date, the city has not received any plans, an application for a building permit or any questions to which we can reply. We would be happy to respond if we do receive questions.”

The hotel has filed an application for a certificate of appropriateness with the city’s Historic District Commission, according to a letter City Attorney Brian Albright wrote Thursday to Rajabi’s attorney. It said the hotel can apply for building permits before the Historic District Commission considers the application at the panel’s Sept. 21 meeting.

The application is required to ensure the repairs don’t materially alter the aesthetic of the hotel’s exterior, as the Arlington is part of the Central Avenue Historic District.

“We’re trying to be as accommodating as possible,” Albright said Friday. “We want them to start work, and I’m sure they want to start working as well so they can move forward in a positive direction.”

The application said the hotel’s contractor will repair areas where water has penetrated the exterior. It’s unclear from the application if repairs referenced in the engineering report are part of the work plan.

“The HDC hopes to see a plan to repair the tile, roof, gutters and five main areas of brick and stucco that create immediate life safety concerns, as identified in the engineering report,” the letter to Rajabi’s attorney said. “If you’d like to amend the HDC application to encompass those additional tasks, please let (the city) know at your earliest convenience.”

Rajabi said his experience as a “hotel flipper” is the prologue to him acquiring the Arlington properties in July for $5.03 million, a purchase financed by the previous owner, the Arlington Hotel Co. Inc. He said the $30 million renovation he’s planning to finance through tax credits and the help of a corporate hotel partner won’t require closing the Arlington.

“Everything I’ve done so far has led me to the Arlington,” he said. “I have no plans, absolutely no plans, to sell the hotel. I’m honored to be a part of it. I’m excited for the future and can’t wait to get started.

“Our master plan is not to do it piecemeal. That’s the biggest mistake developers make. In our case, we’re going to do a full restoration and produce a completely top notch luxury style brand that the people deserve.”

Rajabi said a national brand will add to the hotel’s prestige.

“I’m looking to bring in the right franchise,” he said. “Even though we’ll bring in a brand, we’ll still keep the Arlington name. It would be crazy for anyone to change the name. With a powerful brand behind us, they can put their stamp on the hotel. I can guarantee you their brand standard is a lot tougher than any state or local requirements for life safety.”

Rajabi said the renovation would reduce the hotel from 550 rooms to about 385.

“We don’t care to be the largest hotel in the state of Arkansas, but we want to be the best hotel in the state of Arkansas,” he said.