GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Thursday marked the ceremonial signing of the final structural beam hoisted into place for the Hampton Inn and Suites under construction on the Medical Mile.
The $28 million hotel is located at 425 Dudley Place off of Michigan Street in Grand Rapids’ growing Mid Towne neighborhood. Officials with Third Coast Development and Lodgco Management plan to open the Hampton Inn and Suites by Sept. 1, 2015 in time for ArtPrize.
Owner of Third Coast Development Max Benedict told FOX 17 they would like to model the area around a neighborhood like Lincoln Park.
“The long-term vision is mixed-use all up and down the corridor: putting some nice retail in, along with apartments up above, so people will be able to live here, work up the street, and also play up the street,” said Benedict.
The Hampton Inn and Suites sits within Third Coast Development’s plan for their Mid Towne Village, an area of mixed-use establishments that will occupy land between Michigan Street and I-196 and between Paris Avenue NE and Benson Avenue NE.
Benedict said the goal is to build the Michigan Street Corridor and provide 142 rooms at a reasonable price.
“This is definitely going to serve Medical Mile, there’s also Grand Valley, Michigan State, there’s a whole bunch of demand of there,” said Benedict. “Until this was built, you had to stay downtown, but now this is going to be the closest hotel to the hospital.”
Data shows hotel occupancy rates in Kent County have increased over the past five years. Tom Bennett, Vice President of Sales and Services with Experience Grand Rapids, said that in 2014 Kent County had 64.6 percent hotel occupancy rate, slightly higher than the state’s 2014 hotel occupancy rate of 58.9 percent.
“This is the beginning of the Michigan Street corridor,” said Benedict. “As we go and develop further down the road, we’re going to see a lot of activity in this area: you’re going to see a lot more of a neighborhood feel, you’re going to see feet on the street.”
During construction, there have been 250 temporary construction jobs in place, and after the hotel’s completion, Benedict said it will bring in 20 permanent positions.
