Senator makes bid on Historic Anniston Hotel

Sen. Del Marsh

State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, of Anniston is apparently wanting to get into the hotel business.  The senator submitted a $2 million proposal Friday to purchase and renovate the city-owned Victoria Inn. If the deal goes through, the city of Anniston will get the hotel back into private hands as planned when it bought the building more than a year ago. Meanwhile, Marsh will get to save a historic structure and help with the redevelopment of the city's struggling downtown.

Marsh submitted his proposal through his development company, Marsh Properties Inc. The Quintard Avenue property containing the historic Queen Anne-style home and related buildings is appraised at approximately $2.9 million, according to county tax records. The Victoria has a restaurant and the hotel section has 63 rooms.

Marsh said he thinks the Victoria Inn has always been an asset to the city and for it to continue to be so, it should be in private hands.

City Manager Brian Johnson said that although other developers had inquired about the inn, Marsh was the only person to submit a formal proposal. The city has had the Victoria up for sale ever since it declared the property surplus in December.

Marsh said his current goal is to develop a more detailed cost estimate with the city to fully renovate the Victoria and to also learn what the city expects him to do with the property.

The city bought the Victoria for $710,000 in October 2013 from the Jacksonville State University Foundation's real estate holding company, the Jacksonville State University Foundation.