Hotel group waiting on IHG approval
<span>Delayed by weather and brand owner approval, The Chester Hotel Group is hoping to have the city's new Holiday Inn Express open in time for the Amateur Trapshooting Association's Grand American.</span>
<span>"We're waiting on the approval of some main floor diagrams with the InterContinental Hotels Group," James Best, of The Chester Hotel Group, told the Herald Tribune on Friday. "This is the biggest aspect, pouring the footings and the foundation."</span>
<span>According to its website, IHG - which owns the Holiday Inn brand - is "one of the world's leading hotel companies, whose purpose is to create great hotels guests love."</span>
<span>"InterContinental is the name of their five-star division," Best said.</span>
<span>Best, along with Vip Remodeling and Construction Inc.'s Paul Martin and Chester Mayor Tom Page, broke ground on the project on September 14, 2015, with the goal of having the hotel open by April of this year.</span>
<span>But Mother Nature interfered with a wet fall and winter and the new target date is July 1.</span>
<span>"Believe me, we want to get up and running by then," Best said. "All the utilities are in and there's nothing that should be done that hadn't been done.</span>
<span>"We're happy with the progress, we just wish it was two months further along."</span>
<span>A retaining wall at the rear of the property has also been completed, but the site was eerily empty on Friday with the exception of several mounds of dirt and a construction trailer.</span>
<span>"We can work around (wet ground)," Best said. "There's a compound you can spread around on the ground, but we don't want to use that as it can almost make the ground like concrete."</span>
<span>The $5 million, three-story hotel will feature 65 beds, indoor pool, convention center and workout facility.</span>
<span>It is anticipated to create 12 or 13 permanent jobs, along with two or three part-time jobs.</span>
<span>Keller Enterprises, co-operated by Chuck Keller of Effingham, will manage the hotel. According to media reports, Keller Enterprises has operated hotels and conference centers for more than 50 years.</span>
<span>Martin said that realistically, the hotel is ahead of IHG's guidelines.</span>
<span>"They had us breaking ground in June or July, so we are ahead of what they're used to," Martin said.</span>
<span>Martin said the hotel group hopes to have everything finalized and the green light to pour the footings within 30 days.</span>
<span>"With this brand new prototype and concept, they're basically crossing the T's and dotting the I's making sure everything is right," he said.</span>
<span>The hotel site is the location of the former Hi-3 Motel, named for its location on Lehmen Drive/Route 3 on Chester's northwest side.</span>
<span>As part of the project, a 50-foot by 100-foot detached restaurant will occupy one corner of the property.</span>
<span>"The hotel will be up and open and the restaurant will come after that," Best said. "The hotel is the main concern right now."</span>