Planners to consider B&B downtown
Published 9:26 pm Saturday, June 16, 2012
A downtown special-events venue has applied for permits to expand the building, and plans also are under way to create a bed-and-breakfast nearby.
The permits are two of several items on the agenda for next week’s Planning Commission meeting, which will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The First Lady of Suffolk, located at 447 W. Washington St., is a restored Queen Anne Victorian home that was converted from a funeral home in 2007, when Mickey Boyette and his business partner, Jennifer Seebo, and their spouses decided to make it their own.
They plan to expand the footprint of the building by about 2,500 square feet in order to create a large ballroom, Boyette said. The ballroom seating capacity will more than double, he said.
With the renovations, a large “Gone With the Wind”-type staircase will be created leading directly into the ballroom, which will help create special moments for weddings, Boyette said.
In addition, the bed and breakfast at 104 S. Broad St. will create four rooms, which also can accommodate the wedding party on the night before a wedding, he said.
“The bed and breakfast thing is something we’ve been contemplating for years,” he said. On event weekends, they will be reserved for the use of those having the event at the First Lady, he said.
“We want to make sure we can accommodate anyone that’s having a wedding here first,” he said, adding that about 30 to 40 percent of the venue’s weddings come from out of the area.
With the First Lady being located directly across the street from the location of the planned city hall, Boyette said his expansion will complement the city’s investment.
“With the new municipal center going in, we’re trying to keep up and capitalize on all these other improvements,” he said.
Among other business on the Planning Commission agenda, the planners will consider a preliminary subdivision plat for 26 lots of single-family attached dwelling units in the Prentis Place development; a private school and daycare facility in Harbour View; and a review of the sign ordinance.