EDA Board authorizes sale of Afton Inn as Town withdraws title claim

“Can we sing Hallelujah now,” Economic Development Authority Board member Jorie Martin exuded following 5-0 roll call approval (Gordon absent) of a motion by Greg Harold, seconded by Martin, authorizing the sale of the Afton Inn property to developer 2 East Main LLC at a price of $325,000. The sale is to be accomplished upon signing of the Deed of Sale and necessary Title company documents “at the earliest possible time”.

Virtual jubilation, here it is EDA’s Greg Harold, was in order as the Town allowed the EDA sale for renovation of the Afton Inn property to proceed, without an ownership challenge on sales proceeds which are earmarked to pay part of the EDA Afton project bank loan off. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

The landmark achievement, in the works now well into last year if not longer as the EDA and Town negotiated some rocky legal terrain on a variety of fronts, was accomplished Friday afternoon following an approximate 45-minute Special Meeting Closed Session of the EDA Board of Directors convened shortly after 2 p.m.

Royal Examiner contacted EDA Board Chairman Jeff Browne, who along with Board Secretary Greg Harold will sign the Afton Deed of Sale for the EDA, shortly after the 3:05 p.m. adjournment of the February 12 Special Meeting. “Is this a done deal, is the Town okay with this,” we asked Browne four days after an occasionally tense Monday night meeting exchange with Front Royal Mayor Chris Holloway on the dynamics of a potential Afton sale.

Yes, the EDA board chairman replied, explaining that subsequent communications with the Town this week enabled Friday’s action to proceed on the most recent extended 2 East Main LLC sales contract deadline date of February 12.

“To me this is symbolic that we’re working together to get some things done and getting the Afton Inn resolved is a good sign. And hopefully we’ll move on and get other things resolved as well,” Browne said of renewed EDA-Town communications.

A BIG Fix is coming – ‘Just’ when you were getting used to seeing this at the head of Front Royal’s Downtown Business District, soon it will be a little different (see below).

He noted that the EDA had received a letter from the Town indicating it would not dispute the EDA’s title claim to the Afton property ownership. And while there was some language in that message found somewhat “cloudy” by the Sterling-based title company or EDA counsel, a subsequent letter signed by Mayor Holloway dated February 12 promised that language would be clarified to remove any perceived ambiguity.

Browne pointed out the sales price is the originally discussed one that has fluctuated somewhat up and down over the months the sale was on hold due to variables involving both the EDA’s financial scandal civil litigation and Town questions over its ownership interest in the property.

As Browne noted during his February 8 report to the Front Royal Town Council, 2 East Main LLC plans to begin its massive renovation project within a year and hopes to complete the $2-million project within two years. See more detail on those renovation plans in Royal Examiner’s December 29 story “From Town Eyesore to Downtown Anchor: Reimagining the Afton Inn”

Above, 2 E. Main LLC graphic of its plan to restore and expand the Afton Inn, originally the Montview Hotel circa 1868, to become a high-end anchor building for downtown Front Royal. Below, Board of Architectural Review (BAR) members Angela Toler, Duane Vaughan and Nancy LeHew peruse 2 E. Main plans. The Town BAR recommended approval of those plans.

Also following Friday’s closed session, the EDA approved a short-term lease proposal on part of the Baugh Drive warehouse space with WOW Airlines. An initial three-month lease will be offered on 4400 square feet (s.f.) of warehouse space and 860 s.f. of office space, which includes a $1,000 security deposit and $900 utility payment, with month-to-month renewal options after the initial three-month period.

WOW Airlines would be the fourth short-term lease tenant in the sprawling Baugh Drive warehouse that the EDA eventually hopes to sell, possibly in relation to its connection to Parallel LLC’s bid to become the region’s medical marijuana distributor.