The historic but long-neglected Candler Mansion on Briarcliff Road could soon be providing upscale accommodations near Emory University.
At a highly anticipated community meeting on Thursday night regarding the building's future, plans for a hotel and events facility were revealed, according to the AJC.
Michael Mandl, president and CEO of Mandl & Co., and developer Jerry Daws of Republic Property shared their vision for the facility.
Plans call for restoration of the expansive grounds — which formerly housed a zoo — and mansion, with the addition of approximately 50 guest cabins scattered around the property.
According to a meeting attendee, the mansion and greenhouse would be restored, with the new guest rooms added surrounding the former public swimming pool.
Mandl knows firsthand that it'll be a long road to fruition, with negotiations and approval from an array of groups required to move the project forward; until last month he served as the executive vice president of business and administration at Emory.
Optimistically, the hotel could open by the end of 2018, officials said.
Built as the private residence of Asa Candler, Jr. in 1920, the home served as a mental hospital in the middle of the last century, but has sat largely vacant and deteriorating since Emory University took ownership.
Emory would retain ownership of the property, but allow for the adaptive-reuse of the buildings through a longterm land lease to the developers.
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