City officials and developer J.S. Capitol are working to finalize the agreements to bring a proposed hotel to downtown Butler.

Officials gathered at 1:30 p.m. today at the law office of Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Graham in Butler.

J.S. Capitol must close on three loans, including a $3.4 million construction loan with NexTier Bank and a $900,000 tax-increment financing loan. It also must close on the partnership agreement with the authority, which will be a 25 percent owner in the 76-room Marriott Springhill Suites hotel set to be built at the corner of Jefferson and McKean streets.

As of 4 p.m. officials were not certain if the closing would be finalized today.

The closing would open the door for the city to move forward with its proposed neighboring parking garage, which is expected to join the hotel as part of the Centre City project.

City council last month told PNC Bank to begin preparing to sell about $7 million in bonds to build the garage.

The city is waiting for J.S. Capitol to finalize its deals for the hotel before starting with the $5 million parking garage because the hotel will be a primary tenant of the garage — guaranteeing to pay for 50 spaces each night.

The city has until Sept. 14 to sell its bonds before they expire.