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Council gets update about hotel

Developer says work could start in summer

Developers of the proposed hotel downtown are doing site work and final plans for the structure, and hope to break ground this summer.

Paul Dunn, development director for J.S. Capitol Construction, updated city council on the proposed Marriott Springhill Suites hotel at its meeting Thursday night.

Dunn said financing for the hotel has been approved by NexTier Bank, and that J.S. Capitol is working on submitting plans to Marriott on the approximately 70-room hotel.

Dunn said no estimated date of construction has been set.

“I’m thinking summer,” he said.

Dunn said the developer is not waiting for the city to begin construction of its proposed parking garage.

“We’re not waiting,” he said, adding the developer has its own work needed to be done.

The hotel and garage are expected to join the already completed Rite Aid pharmacy at 139 S. Main St. as part of the Centre City project.

The city redevelopment authority will own about 36 percent of the hotel, contributing about $2 million of a state grant toward the project. Mayor Tom Donaldson has said he wants the hotel to break ground before the garage to ensure both developments are completed. The city is depending on the hotel to pay for 50 spaces within the garage per day, which would be a guaranteed source of funding to pay off the structure.

Donaldson said Thursday that J.S. Capitol has met with city officials recently to discuss the project and said he is confident a groundbreaking will occur in the upcoming months.

“There’s great communication between ourselves and the developer,” he said. “I spoke with (the owner of the company) recently and he said he can’t wait to break ground.”

Plans for the city’s garage have grown the structure from three to four tiers and from 225 to 239 spaces. The first floor will be open parking with meters or a kiosk, and will include seven handicap accessible spaces. Putting the handicap spaces on the lowest tier will remove the need for an elevator, reducing the cost.

The city could consider adding an elevator or a roof to the structure, which would add costs of about $600,000 and $300,000, respectively.

The garage will have a cable railing, reducing the weight and cost of the structure. The cable railing would likely include an interior fence for safety.

Two enclosed stairwells will be brick and modeled after the appearance of older buildings in the city.

Council expects the garage to cost more than $4 million.

Council authorized spending up to $7 million on the garage through a PNC Bank bond.

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