Don’t be surprised to see a chic hotel going up at Highland Park Village. According to Ray Washburne, one of the owners of the iconic upscale shopping center, adding a hospitality property would be in response to popular demand.
In an article in the new issue of D CEO magazine, Washburne says:
“The most asked-for thing here is a hotel. … At some point we’re working on trying to do a boutique hotel. It might have 70 to 100 rooms.” Where would it be located? “I can’t say,” he replies. “I don’t want to upset the tenants in those spaces.”
While Washburne wasn’t ready to spill the beans, others contend the hotel could be built on the site right off Preston Road that currently houses spaces including the Chanel Boutique and the very busy Starbucks coffee shop.
UPDATE: The point of the D CEO story (referenced above) is the robust, tit-for-tat rivalry between Highland Park Village and NorthPark Center for patrons as well as tenants. And, just like clockwork, NorthPark spokeswoman Kristen Gibbins told us this evening, “Plans for a hotel are part of NorthPark Center’s next development phase, which we hope to get underway in the near future.”
