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GREENSBORO — As the city awaited the opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum last week, Melvin “Skip” Alston should have been basking in the moment.

 A project that he and fellow black leader Earl Jones had envisioned more than 15 years ago was finally coming to fruition. Their project is  a monument to the Greensboro sit-ins, a milestone in American civil rights.

Instead, Alston found himself embroiled in the kind of controversy he has faced throughout his political career — a very public argument about ethics, race and money.

This past week alone, city officials have called Alston out for playing political hardball; his fellow county commissioners have questioned his actions; and some community leaders have raised concerns about the conflict between his roles as a county commissioner, businessman and community leader.

“Mr. Alston has his own agenda,” said Sharon High­tower, the black president of the Forrest Park Neighborhood Association and part of the Guilford County Unity Effort. “That’s fine, but he has a hard time separating that agenda from what he’s supposed to do as a community leader and representative.”

At the center of the controversy this past week was the proposed Ole Asheboro Hotel, a $54 million project. Investors are seeking $27 million in special federal bond financing available through the city and county.

The 200-room luxury hotel would overlook the museum from its downtown location at Elm Street and February One Place. It would be 51-percent black-owned — a first for Greensboro — and a small portion of the profits would go to the Ole Asheboro Neighborhood Association, a historically black community.

Alston is  a broker on the hotel deal but, as chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, did not disclose that relationship to his fellow commissioners when they were weighing whether to allow the hotel to take advantage of the special financing.

Alston left the room during the vote on the matter, but he did not share the details of his conflict.

County Attorney Mark Payne said Alston — by not voting — had satisfied ethics laws that govern conflict of interest.

Alston has refused to disclose how much he stands to make on the hotel deal. When questions arose about the hotel’s financing and viability, he did not stay out of the fray.

First, he was reported to have threatened Dennis Quaintance and Mike Weaver, competing hoteliers who are white, when they began questioning the project. Alston told Weaver that hotel supporters, including Guilford County school board member Deena Hayes, found opposition to the hotel racist. Continued questioning of the hotel, Alston warned, could lead to a civil rights protest outside the museum on its opening day.

Hayes, who is black, said a protest was one option — a news conference was just as likely. She said she and others were offended by the patronizing tone of the project’s critics.

“Why are they asking these questions of this particular project, and why are they doing it now when it’s nearly cleared all of its political hurdles?” Hayes asked. “Because they never thought we would get this far.”

Hayes said she believes Quaintance and Weaver’s motives are primarily financial — the project would compete directly with their O. Henry and Proximity hotels at a time when room rates are down and vacancies are up. But, she said, the historical and institutional racism that has kept black business people from having such opportunities can’t be separated from the conversation .

Hayes has a personal connection to the hotel — she lives in the Ole Asheboro neighborhood with John Greene, a contractor whose company is part of the hotel’s development team.

Hayes doesn’t consider that a conflict. She and Greene profiting from the venture doesn’t mean it won’t help the community, she said. Restoring and creating wealth within a historically black community was always one of the deal’s goals.

“A lot of people have interests in this hotel,” Hayes said. “I’m just speaking my truth.”

Alston was next accused of threatening three members of the Greensboro City Council with recall elections if the council reconsidered its approval for the hotel financing.

Alston told Mayor Bill Knight and Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan that the city’s black community had not supported them in the last election and were upset that they and Councilman Danny Thompson might want to rescind approval of the hotel. All three are white.

Hightower said she’s unaware of any conversations about a recall. “It’s true that the community is not happy with the mayor,” Hightower said. “But it’s not at the level of a recall, and it doesn’t have to do with the hotel. That’s not a big issue for most of us — that’s Mr. Alston’s issue.”

Alston apologized to the council members, explaining he was merely relating what he had heard.

“I talked to them the same way any developer would, any broker on a deal,” Alston said. “I certainly never intended for it to be threatening. I think because there is this perception of my political influence, people think I’m trying to influence a situation when I’m just talking, just having a conversation anyone else would have.”

But some — including a few fellow commissioners — said Alston shouldn’t play business hardball while on the job as a county commissioner, period.

“This is Skip’s style,” said Commissioner Paul Gibson, a frequent critic of Alston’s leadership. “He tries to bully you, he tries to intimidate. He’s very competitive and if he can’t convince you, he’ll try to scare you. That’s not the best image for the chairman of the commissioners, and it’s not good for Guilford County.”

Knight said Alston threatened to cut him out of the museum’s opening ceremonies if the council reconsidered the hotel financing — a charge Alston denies.

Gibson, who is white, said Alston shouldn’t be using the museum — or charges of racism — as leverage in his deals.

“The museum and this hotel deal — he’s bundled the two together,” Gibson said. “He really doesn’t see the difference between them and the museum has really been hurt by it.”

Alston said there is a legitimate — and important — link between the two projects.

“Here it is, 50 years later, you have blacks and whites sitting down to plan a $50 million project across the street from the place they couldn’t have a cup of coffee together,” Alston said. “That should be celebrated. On the same street. Now, that is the story. That’s  what you call progress and that’s progress that we should be proud of.”

Commissioner Billy Yow, a longtime political foil, said Alston’s behavior on the hotel deal has hurt the Board of Commissioners and its relationship with the City Council.

Yow, who is white, said Alston should step down as chairman. That would be the  honorable thing to do, Yow said, because there aren’t six votes on the board to remove him.

A number of commissioners said Alston may have overreached but did not violate any laws. He has apologized, they said, and it should be left at that.

“We shouldn’t judge him on how much he might earn,” said Commissioner Carolyn Coleman, who is black. “He did what was appropriate, which was not vote when the bonds came up. That’s all he’s required to do. He’s allowed to make a living as well as being a commissioner.”

Commissioner Bruce Davis, who is black, said being both a commissioner and a businessman can be difficult. It’s important to know where the line is, Davis said, and Alston did not cross it.

“I don’t want to go into who is right and who is wrong,” Davis said. “If he fulfilled the statutory requirement by not voting, then he did what he needed to do.”

Davis said every politician faces a tension between interests as a private citizen and duty to public office. “If you’re a businessman you have a responsibility to your employees,” he said. “That doesn’t stop because you also have a responsibility to the public, but you have to be able to separate the two and avoid doing anything you can’t face the public with.”

Thompson said he believes Alston’s apology was sincere and he now has a unique opportunity to strike a blow for transparency and ethics in business and local politics.

“I’m hoping Mr. Alston will join with me to set some new guidelines for how elected officials should operate when they find themselves involved in business before their board or their council,” Thompson said. “I’m looking for a silver lining.”

Staff writer Richard M. Barron contributed to this report.

Contact Joe Killian at 373-7023 or joe.killian@news-record.com