The site of a future Embassy Suites in downtown Grand Rapids may now be the site of two future hotels.
Brian Beukema is the president of property development for hotel management company Suburban Inns. He tells city commissioners a co-branded opportunity is the reason Suburban’s requesting a new extension from the city.
“[It’s an] opportunity that arose with one of the franchise companies that we work with. They came to us with a concept and an idea for the site," Beukema says.
"And when we acquired the neighboring property and started the (alleyway vacation) process – [we] request the extension to kind of go down this path and see if this is a feasible idea.”
The name of the second possible hotel was not provided, but plans for the new, co-branded development include two 200-300 room hotels, sports bar, coffee shop and shared parking. That’s according to a city memo circulated this week.
Discussion surrounding creation of a hotel along several parcels of Monroe Avenue first came up in 2007; an incentivized development agreement followed.
Beukema says the Embassy Suites portion of the project will happen either way. He says various construction timelines remain the same and doesn’t anticipate that to change.
Commissioners signed off on the amendment Tuesday for Suburban to pursue the co-branded possibility.
Preliminary site plans are now due by mid-September.
