New artist’s renderings of a restored Afton Inn

Afton Inn redevelopment group 2 East Main Street LLC (formerly known as MODE LLC) has released some revised drawings of what is now slated to be a restore-rebuilt Afton Inn.  On April 27 the 2 East Main group (from the Afton Inn street address), announced that after several months of exploration of restoration options and costs it would alter its original and town council-approved demolition-rebuild plan to restore-rebuild.  See Related Story

The Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the LLC formerly known as MODE have been working on a redevelopment plan for the Afton Inn since January 2017.  As Royal Examiner reported in a subsequent story, the EDA began marketing the property at the head of the town’s Historic Downtown Business District after the Front Royal Town Council agreed to a then controversial property swap with Afton Inn owner, Northern Virginia developer Frank Barros, in 2014.  See Related Story

Following state and local permitting and partial demolition – of the west-side annex, circa 1940’s/1950’s – a 12 to 18-month construction project is forecast.  2 East Main’s evolving plan has remained fairly constant regarding its endgame – restoration of the Afton Inn to a mixed commercial-residential use.  Plans unveiled so far indicate upscale studio-style apartments on the two upper floors; commercial and office space on the first floor of the existing building footprint; and loft apartment or other as yet to be determined uses in an extended, new multi-floor rear section.

Artist’s rendering of a shored up main structure and rebuild annex and rear addition. Graphics 2 East Main/EDA

The Afton Inn as a boarded up derelict structure – and eyesore at the head of Front Royal’s Historic Downtown Business District

The accompanying photos portray, a/ the development group’s vision for the restored and rebuilt Afton Inn; b/ as well as past incarnations of the building; c/ and MODE LLC’s initial artist’s renderings of its total demolition-rebuild plan.

EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald perhaps optimistically said the new permitting process could begin within two months of the April 27 announcement of the change of direction.  The lease agreement between the EDA and 2 East Main LLC allows the EDA to maintain ownership and some control over the redevelopment process.  Once the project is completed, ownership will shift to 2 East Main LLC.

While the EDA expressed confidence in the 2 East Main group’s ability to proceed as planned, the goal of the lease agreement is to see there is no recurrence of abandoned plans allowing the building to sit idle and deteriorating as it has over the past decade-plus.

In a press release accompanying the April 27 announcement the EDA said, “2 E. Main Street, LLC has plans for limited demolition, stabilization and strengthening of the original structure, and protection of the structure during phase one of the project. Phase two will consist of renovations and an addition to the property.  2 E. Main Street plans to have the project completed within an estimated 12 to 18-month timeframe with a cost of approximately $2,500,000.”

Artist’s rendering looking south toward the county courthouse down Crescent Street – the new addition is at right of graphic.

Architectural drawing of east side (across Crescent St.) of the restored, added-onto Afton Inn

“After extensive investigations with two structural engineers we have put together a team that is making plans to preserve the main structure of the Afton Inn.  It will be challenging but we are committed to a careful and staged process to straighten and secure elements of the existing structure while developing the mixed use project. Recycled materials will blend with new more energy efficient elements and systems to find a balance between new and old while being clear about the historic distinctions,” 2 East Main’s Jim Burton said upon announcement of the change in plans.

“We look forward to having the Afton Inn become a contributing structure to the vitality of downtown once again”, EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald concluded of the economic redevelopment endgame.

The Afton Inn’s elaborate porch structure prior to its collision with modern transportation of the kind parked out front, circa 1920’s.

As Royal Examiner has previously reported, the 150-year-old structure now known as the Afton Inn first opened its doors for business at 2 East Main Street as the Montview Hotel in 1868.  At various periods in both the late 1800’s and early to mid-1900’s the hotel, within walking distance of Front Royal’s train station – now the Front Royal Visitor’s Center – was a downtown cultural centerpiece.

A later incarnation, circa 1940’s we are told, including acknowledgement of ‘The Glass Coffee Shop’

One of MODE LLC’s original artist’s rendering of what would have been a totally new structure based on the Afton Inn model similar to previous photo.

However, the building’s history suffered in past decades, losing its more fashionable visitors’ destination ambience, transitioning into apartments and eventually a first-floor commercial restaurant and drinking destination of the “Helltown” variety.

The Afton Inn’s upper floors eventually became vacant, with the first floor being used as a commercial schoolbook depository around the turn of the century (and likely leading to a collapse of the first floor into the basement).

Finally the Afton Inn was boarded up and sat completely derelict for the past decade as the town council got into an anal-retentive code dispute over planned renovations submitted by Frank Barros around 2006-07 that would have made a restored Afton Inn taller than the county courthouse – apparently a town-county code no-no – followed shortly by the 2008 housing market crash.

Town officials, BAR members and the media gather for an Aug. 15, 2017 tour of the crumbling Afton Inn.

Then ‘MODE’ principal Jim Burton points to exterior water damage prior to tour of interior.

But now, drum roll please………………………………

Remember that place? Controversy surrounded the town government’s 2014 decision to authorize a swap of the circa 1930’s town hall it had outgrown for the derelict Afton Inn with the hope of attracting a developer for the circa 1868 structure.