MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A historic building in a downtown Alabama city will be sold for more than $2 million.
The Montgomery Water Works and Sanitation Board will pull in the funds for the historic Murphy House, which was built in 1851, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. The city council board plans to use the funds to move into a new building in Interstate Park that will cost $1.5 million.
The rest of the money will be used to fund the board's move.
Board chairman Richard Hanan says the new space will be 80,000 square feet. He says customers will still be able to pay their bill at a downtown kiosk location in the Alabama Power building.
The Murphy House was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972. The hotel will be a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel - the third in the state - and will feature 100 rooms and two bars with one on the rooftop.
Ascent Hospitality President John Tampa said the gilded front room of the Murphy House would be a "destination" restaurant. The Murphy House will soon become a five-star boutique hotel.
"This will be probably one of the top restaurants in Montgomery and will become a destination," he said.
Tampa hopes the Murphy House name can be retained.
"We see opportunity here by just the history. Just the building on its own is not a building, it's a jewel. It's a landmark in this state," Tampa said.