Flatiron Building (Asheville, North Carolina)

The Flatiron Building on Battery Park Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina was completed in 1926. The nine-story 52,000-square-foot building was designed by New York architect Albert C. Wirth and built by L. B. Jackson Builders of Asheville. It is a contributing building to the Downtown Asheville Historic District. In its first decade, it was home dozens of businesses, as well as WWNC, Asheville's oldest radio station. Jimmie Rodgers, whose star persona and Appalachian musical style earned him the designation "Father of Country Music", made his first broadcast performance from WWNC's 8th-floor studio.

The building was largely occupied by business professionals, physicians, and dentists throughout its first 50 years. As Asheville slowly recovered from its post-Great Depression slump, the Flatiron's tenant mix turned over to more creatives, therapists, and small tech startups (particularly during the 2000s).

Midtown Development Associates bought the building in 1985 for $440,000. A $1 million renovation took place at that time. Early in 2018, building manager and co-owner Russell Thomas put the building up for sale with a $16 million asking price; the buyer would be required to preserve the building. On October 8, 2018, Thomas announced the building needed $3.5 million in renovations. Shortly thereafter, local developer Philip Woollcott presented plans to convert the building from offices to a boutique hotel.

The restoration and renovation project lasted roughly 4.5 years, partly due to delays forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel includes a Italian-Appalachian restaurant called Luminosa, a rooftop bar, an underground speakeasy, and a coworking space. The building itself has been largely preserved, with details including historic terrazzo and marble flooring, transom windows, and door signage highlighting 29 of the buildings' previous tenants. The Indigo Road Hospitality Group began accepting reservations for the 71-room Flat Iron Hotel in 2024. The hotel and restaurant officially opened on May 15, 2024. In 1997, local artist Reed Todd installed an 8-foot tall cast iron sculpture of an antique flatiron just across Wall Street, to the building's east. The sculpture has become a popular tourist landmark and backdrop for street performers.