Merritt, who grew up in Raleigh, said she has admired the 1928 motel since childhood and feared it would be demolished before she could help save it.
"To think that it was going to get bulldozed just broke my heart," she said. "This is a really beautiful building and I didn't want to see it turned into condos."
The Gables Motel was once a popular stop for travelers moving along the Eastern Seaboard. In recent years, the property fell into disrepair.
Merritt pushed to purchase the site in 2018, but renovation stalled during the pandemic.
She later partnered with Craig Spitzer, one of the owners behind The Durham Hotel and Cary's Mayton Inn, to revive the landmark.
Spitzer said preserving the motel's history is central to the project.
"To preserve spaces like this so that the history of the place, the people who came before us and the community here can really feel a part of it, I think is really important," he said.
The original house on the property was built in 1928 by Ella Johnson, who ran the motel while her husband worked at the nearby Person Street Pharmacy. The couple benefited from growing tourism along Old Wake Forest Road, also known as U.S. Route 1.
"This was the straightest road between New York and Miami," Merritt said.
Developers have updated the original structure and are adding thousands of square feet for guest rooms and an alcove bar.
A lounge area will feature a piano, where Merritt plans to perform occasionally. The owners hope the restored motel will serve as a gathering space for the community.
"It will offer a chill vibe that people can stroll on over, come as they are, meet some friends, stay for a while. The idea of the food program is a European picnic every day," said Spitzer.
A new sign is being created to replace the iconic roadside marker that could not be salvaged.
Merritt said she wants the project to honor Raleigh's character. "I'm always for honoring the old and the layers of history and for keeping the funky and dynamic," she said. "I think those are the things that make a place special."
The owners said they are in the final stages of construction and have begun taking online reservations ahead of the planned reopening next month.
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