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, authority director, said invitations have been sent to local elected officials as well as U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, 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 he will be happy to see the project begin.

“I’m excited,” he 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.

Cordwell said work on the site of the new Rite Aid is to begin in November.

Construction plans for the parking garage cannot be established until financing is in place.

The city is exploring options on how to finance the $3.5-million garage, though the most talked about option by council members is a bond issue.