Shelby City Council is set to weigh two proposals for one of the city's most storied properties: a $6.6 million plan to turn the historic Webbley Mansion into a public museum, art gallery and cultural center, and a competing plan for a boutique bed-and-breakfast. Kristen Boggs Jaeger, an art collector with deep roots in Cleveland County, is behind the museum proposal, which also includes an art program, a seasonal market and a gallery, according to The Shelby Star.
Jaeger, a Cleveland County native who now lives in Los Angeles but regularly returns home, presented the vision to roughly 100 people at Belvedere Station on Marion Street, per The Shelby Star and the Charlotte Observer. The gathering was intended to build support before the council vote, while the proposal continues to face an approval process.
Two Competing Visions for the Same Mansion
The alternative proposal comes from Cathford Consulting, a Virginia-based company. It would renovate Webbley Mansion into a boutique bed-and-breakfast with a guest house and an outdoor event venue. David Stone, a local contractor and real estate broker, is part of the Cathford Consulting team, according to The Shelby Star.
The council is expected to compare the proposals' differing uses for the property: a museum and cultural gathering space under Jaeger's plan, or a hospitality-focused redevelopment under Cathford Consulting's plan. The outcome had not been determined as of publication.
Exterior restoration was already moving forward
The city had also taken an official step toward preserving the property before the council considered the competing redevelopment plans. According to City of Shelby records, Shelby was accepting bids on Feb. 17, 2026, for restoration of the exterior of the historic Webbley. That record establishes a city-backed restoration process, while the council vote will determine which broader use proposal moves forward.
An Art Collection Already Waiting in the Wings
Jaeger says the collection that would anchor the museum is already assembled. She has collected contemporary sculptures, photography and paintings for more than 10 years, with the collection valued at more than $9 million. Jaeger and her husband also plan to contribute funds, saying they want to help ensure Webbley survives and continues in perpetuity.
The project would host talks on topics including artificial intelligence's effect on education. Jaeger has said she wants the mansion to become a gathering space open to people regardless of denomination, economic status, occupation, upbringing or ethnicity, a kind of living house for Shelby.
Jaeger has presented the museum as both a cultural resource and a potential economic-development and recreational asset for the area. Before the vote, she urged community members to support the proposal and attend the council meeting.
Precedent Elsewhere for Mansion-to-Museum Conversions
Adaptive reuse of historic properties for cultural or hospitality purposes has precedent beyond Shelby, though such examples are not directly tied to the Webbley proposal. Properties such as the Flat Iron Hotel in downtown Asheville show how boutique adaptive-reuse projects can pair private event capabilities with public-facing space. Whether Shelby lands closer to a museum model or a boutique-hospitality model now rests with the council's Monday vote.
