Answer Man: Ramada Inn still open for regular business? Towne Place Suites still happening?

Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: Having heard a rumor about visitors to our fair city who recently checked into a $200 a night room at the Ramada at River Ridge (around Christmas) and being surprised by what they found, I checked it out myself by going to several hotel booking sites. All show the Ramada (was) available at around $100 a night (in late December), going down to around $60 in January. While doubtless a bargain, visitors might be surprised with what they are checking into. What gives? Is this hotel still renting rooms while serving as a homeless shelter? And why aren't all the rooms filled with the unhoused who need them more than visitors do?

My answer: I'm sure some of the tourists were curious when they noticed the "no vagrancy" light was on.

Real answer: The city of Asheville's former spokeswoman, Polly McDaniel, confirmed in early January that, "The Ramada is still operating as a hotel."

Emily Ball, they city's homeless services system performance lead, added some more details in an emailed statement.

Boyle column: Homelessness and affordability dog Asheville, and that's not changing

"The city of Asheville is renting some of those hotel rooms for people in need of shelter," Ball said. "Funding has been approved to support current occupants through the end of March, with a focus on housing planning and positive exits for each person."

For the past few months, the Ramada has been in the news quite a bit, as the city had plans to convert it into a "high-access emergency shelter" for the unhoused. It had entered into a contract to buy the Ramada Inn, located at 149 River Ford Parkway in the River Ridge Marketplace, at a cost of $9.75 million.

But the city scrapped that plan in December, amid widespread complaints from business and residential neighbors upset by crime and litter in the area. About 75 residents who have been living at the Ramada since April will now have to leave.

But the city has a more permanent plan in place. Asheville has committed to creating 100 units of "permanent supportive housing" at the Ramada Inn, partnering with two California-based companies — nonprofit Step Up on Second Street Inc., and for-profit developer Shangri-La Industries.

The two companies plan to convert the hotel over the next year.

But going back to the possibility of renting a room there now, the city referred me to the hotel's owner, a Mr. Patel, for further comment. On Friday, he confirmed that a portion of the hotel remains open to the general public.

More: Asheville police: 25% of violent crime at homeless camps, new protocols for camp removal

The hotel ownership is listed in Buncombe County tax records as Five P Mountain LLC. The registered agent for that company is listed as Mayank S. Patel.

Tax records show the Ramada Inn was built in 1985 and sits on 3.14 acres. Total assessed value of the building and land is $8.7 million.

As the reader noted, if you check hotel booking sites, rooms at the Ramada Inn are available to the public. I found prices in January ranging from about $70-$90 a night.

Question: As a neighborhood resident and retired walker, I’ve been interested in the Towne Place Suites Hotel project at the corner of Merrimon Avenue and Elm Street along I-240 since it was proposed, displacing a homeless encampment and service station/grill. The hotel is apparently finished and its website indicates it is open. I have never seen drawings of the building and assumed the entire demolished area would be developed. Instead, the area along Merrimon is a storage site for broken up asphalt, construction materials and equipment from other projects. Erosion control measures during construction were impressive, as storm water from a wide area runs through the site, and with heavy rains during construction I never saw silt or mud on Merrimon or off site. What is to happen next? And when?

My answer: Plans call for rearranging the broken-up asphalt, construction materials and discarded equipment into small art deco apartments. They'll rent for $2,700 a month.

Real answer: This is the Towne Place Suites project, which has been in the works for quite a few years now. It is in the home stretch, according to Shannon Tuch, principal planner with the city's Planning & Urban Design Department.

"The Towne Place Suites is nearing completion but is not yet open," Tuch said via email. "The website may be up, but if someone tried to book a room it would not let you do so. As such, this is still an active construction site."

More: 9-story hotel, condo building planned downtown Asheville near Masonic Temple

More: Create 72 Broadway, Star Building hotels clear early Asheville city review

Now, about that debris.

"The front of the property, adjacent to Merrimon Avenue, is a separate parcel and not part of the hotel development," Tuch said. "It has been used for construction staging, but we have no other information regarding future plans for this parcel."

I reached out to the applicant on the project but didn't hear back by deadline.

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: Ramada Inn open for regular business? Towne Place Suites?