Asheville's Skybar, a Flatiron fixture for drinks and views, to close at end of the season

ASHEVILLE — Two years ago, the Skybar hosted the Flatiron's 90th birthday celebration. According to an Aug. 6 announcement, the locally beloved cocktail bar will not see 2020.

It will instead close its doors to make way for construction on the Flatiron in 2020, after a contentious battle over the building's future eventually led to its fate: a boutique hotel with a restaurant, retail, commercial space and its own expanded rooftop bar.

"It is with a heavy heart we inform you this will be Skybar's last season," the Flatiron fixture's Facebook page reads. "Thank you for your support over the years. We hope to see you again before the season comes to an end. Asheville, it's been a good run."

The Skybar spans balconies on floors 6-8 in the historic Flatiron Building on the corner of Battery Park Avenue and Wall Street.

The New York Times in 2016 praised the views of this "glorified fire escape," the elevation and the position of which affords stunning views of the Western part of downtown Asheville and mountains beyond. "They say we've got the largest panorama in Asheville," majority owner Russell Thomas told the Citizen Times in 2017.

It's hard to say whether that remains true. Asheville's hotel boom has brought with it more than just a surfeit of rooms; it's also created a rash of rooftop bars and mountain-view balconies. Skybar, which opened in 2006, was once the only place downtown to drink in the views with a cocktail; now it's one of many.

Then there's the recent drama surrounding the Flatiron Building itself.

From business use to boutique hotel

In a project headed by developer Philip Woollcott, the building is slated to be converted next year from primarily small business use to a 71-room boutique hotel with restaurant, street-level retail and commercial office space.

Woollcott, of the Flatiron Preservation Group, vowed to return the structure to its "original glory" after years of deferred maintenance left it with some high-dollar needs, including upgrades to its electrical, plumbing and sprinkler systems.

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But the project — approved in June by City Council on a 4-3 vote — was met with degrees of pushback from neighbors and community residents, many of whom argued against the addition of another downtown hotel. Its approval largely is the basis of an impending conversation by council about a temporary ban on hotel construction.

Flatiron Preservation Group spokeswoman Jill Lieberman said in an Aug. 7 email the Skybar currently is operating on its normal schedule and will remain open until the end of the season, which typically comes in late October. After that time, it's expected to close its doors, clearing the way for construction on the building.

"The Flatiron Building will be under construction for the majority of 2020 and part of the updates include an expanded rooftop bar that will be open to the public," Lieberman said.

Representatives from the Skybar did not immediately answer requests for further comment.