The Centre City project has an official starting date.

The city redevelopment authority will host a ceremonial groundbreaking for the highly anticipated project at 1 p.m. Oct. 25.

It will occur at the corner of South McKean and East Jefferson streets, the block of the future Marriott Springhill Suites hotel.

Art Cordwell, the director of the authority, said invitations to the ceremony have been sent to all local elected officials as well as U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler and Gov. Tom Corbett.

However, the groundbreaking is not the actual start of construction of the hotel, but rather just a ceremony.

“Actual construction won’t start until January,” Cordwell said. “But we want to do this before the weather gets too bad.”

Nice weather is a factor for Cordwell because he hopes the public will attend.

“I’m hoping the public shows up and enjoys what’s finally happening after all this time,” he said.

Cordwell said, “After 10 years of hard work, I’m really looking forward to it. I believe it’ll be the spur of the economic development downtown.”

The $10-million, 75-room hotel will be one part of the Centre City project, which also will bring a 225-space parking garage and a new Rite Aid Pharmacy to downtown.