ASHEVILLE- God always has a plan.
McKibbon Hotel Group believes God revealed his illustrious intervention this past Tuesday, when the Asheville City Council approved the $2.5 million sale of property on Haywood Street across from the Basilica of St. Lawerence to McKibbon.
“Sometimes God works in mysterious ways my friend,” said Wes Townson, vice president of McKibbon.
“We have been praying every day here at McKibbon. Just hoping God would provide us enough strength to fight for this property. I think the big man in the sky came through this past week. Praise Jesus.”
The abandoned Haywood Street property has been a source of controversy for months as the city contemplated whether to award the lot to McKibbon or to the Basilica of St. Lawrence, who offered to build a public plaza in the space.
“I think God just knows the hotel will help people more than a public plaza would,” said Townson.
“The Bible is all about helping other people and we are providing folks shelter from the elements. When people finish a long day of walking with Jesus, they can prop there feet up on our suites’ coffee tables. Plus we will have a King James version of the Bible in every nightstand in our 145-room hotel. You could say we are doing God’s work.”
Townson does admit he is a bit confused why God rewarded the property to McKibbon and not the Basilica, a house where one worships God.
“That just shows you have to have faith and be persistent,” said Townson
“We must have prayed a little bit harder. Here people at the Basilica have been praying for over a hundred years, but we said not so fast my friend. Just like one of God’s favorites Tim Tebow, we made a fourth quarter comeback and prayed our way to victory. We have been Tebowing in the office all week.”
Plans of McKibbon Hotel
Townson confirmed that McKibbon would go through with plans to build a replica New York New York Hotel and Casino on the property, which was revealed in June by the Citizen Thymes here.
Townson also confirmed McKibbon would comply with the city coucil’s requirements for the sale of the property, which includes a second appraisal of the land’s value, mitigating shadows on the Basilica, seismic monitoring to protect historic structures nearby, a traffic-management study, and following the Downtown Master Plan’s.
“I personally think the seismic study is smart considering our hotel will include a roller coaster,” said Townson.
“But I think everything will go smoothly, because we have God on our side obviously. It’s so great to experience what it must have been like to be Noah. Our ark is just a tad bit bigger and doesn’t include doves because I’m allergic, but it will include small dogs for those guests willing to pay a nightly $25 deposit.”
McKibbon still has to get approval from the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission before construction can begin.
Phone calls to God for comment were not returned late Sunday.