The Best Western Hotel on West Colonial Drive near North Tampa Avenue has the city’s approval to become a small apartment complex with 110 units.
The Orlando City Council OK’d the conversion at Monday’s meeting, along with other recommendations of the Municipal Planning Board.
Approval of the master plan doesn’t include incentives and won’t require that rents are at a certain level. But in describing the project, the applicant says it will be low-income or affordable housing and the 300- to 350-square-foot apartments will be affordable for people earning less than 60% of the area’s median income.
The Best Western Hotel at 2014 West Colonial is still in operation.
According to city documents, it opened in 1967 and was expanded in 1972. KJL Hotel Realty bought the property in 1999 and continued to operate it as a Best Western.
A Chinese restaurant – Taste of Chengdu – is also on the property, and it’s not affected by the renovation plans.
The conversion of old hotels is one way that Central Florida communities are adding much-needed affordable housing.
In May, the city celebrated the opening of 95 affordable units at Palm Gardens Orlando, which used to be the Ambassador Hotel. Some 150 units are planned there.
The city contributed more than $4 million to that project through its Accelerate Orlando initiative, which is using $58 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to address homelessness and affordable housing.
