Saturday, August 9, 2008

Breathing New Life...

Most ghost hunters and thrill seekers would love to spend a night at the notoriously-haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium outside Louisville, Kentucky. If owner Charles Mattingly has his way, that might me a lot more possible for everyone.

On Thursday, he announced plans to finally renovate the old 1926 tuberculosis hospital. With a projected cost of $18 million, the hollow shell of a building will become a 78-room boutique hotel, complete with meeting rooms, a spa, and a fitness center.

While the main draw will still be ghosts, there will be a lot more reason to spend a weekend there.

On top of everything, it will be a rather eco-friendly business. Solar power is expected to provide all the electricity and geothermal heating and cooling will be installed. Flooring of cork and recycled rubber also will provide a more durable surface.

Architect Kevin Milburn of Urban Designz has been working closely with Mattingly to make the venture a reality. While no definite funding has been procured, he is in talks with several major financial institutions and says the work could begin late this fall.

There is already plenty of press for Waverly Hills. There was the documentary released, the many visits by paranormal investigators, and a steady stream of media engagements.

Provided the funding goes through soon, the renovations could be completed as early as 2010.

3 comments:

D. G. Habersang said...

What better place to leave all your woes behind than a sanitarium? Count me in!

Jenn said...

Going to Waverly next weekend in fact! What a project they have on their hands, but what a great way to preserve the building.

Cullan Hudson said...

I agree. Preserve history! A similar venture is being done with the notorious Danvers. In that case, I believe they are turning it into high-priced condos or something. Either way, as long as this great architecture is preserved. Nobody can or will spend the kind of money it took to build these stately structures.