Across what will be an outdoor tree-lined courtyard, a fifth building, the former Niagara Bank, houses his offices and first-floor retail space–some of which is already occupied by Kiya Tomlin’s fashion design studio. The sixth building, a former American Legion Post across Highland will be transformed into a three-story restaurant and nightclub venue. But for now all Parkinson’s attention is on the Indigo.
Like the model room he has for display, all the rooms will have spacious walk-in showers, either king or double beds, and ample closet and desk space, but those in the corners of the old Governors Hotel, will be suites, with attached sitting rooms.
Though Parkinson’s construction company can and does build new structures–the top three floors of one building are totally new–he specializes in restoring old buildings.
“I like old buildings because back then, they had craftsmen, stone masons. They were proud of their work. Not just boxes like today,” he said. “This is more interesting. How do you use existing structures? How do you use resources without waste.”
The creative reuse of multiple structures has also secured the project a LEED certification for sustainability. Parkinson said his company self-performed the concrete and masonry work, but used another Black contractor from Washington, Kevin Seymour, to do the structural steel work on the three-story addition.
When he went about selling this idea, he said he only bothered to approach Indigo because he figured no other hotel firm would touch it.
“Indigo allows for different strategies. You have flexibility,” he said. “That architectural freedom is why we went to them.”
Indigo is a 10-year-old division of IHG Intercontinental, which also owns the Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Hyatt, Hilton and Choice Hotels brands. Justin Bartels, Indigo general manager, said you couldn’t do this project with another company, but every Indigo is different and distinct.
“I came up through Holiday Inn, and they would never do this. They want everything the same so the customer knows what to expect every time,” he said. “This will be a unique experience in every room, ushering the historic into the modern era.”
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
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