A mid-state based construction and real estate firm is
breaking into the Lehigh Valley hospitality market with its first hotel in the
region.
Officials from High Hotels Ltd., an affiliate of High
Real Estate Group LLC in Lancaster, hosted a groundbreaking this morning for
construction of SpringHill Suites by Marriott, a $20 million, 135-room hotel in
the Stabler Corporate Center in Upper Saucon Township.
Once built, the hotel will be its first in the Valley for
the company and the 15th overall that it owns, said Russell Urban, president of
High Hotels Inc.
The location marks a strategic spot for a hotel that
would rise five stories on a vacant patch of land in the corporate office
center next to Strayer University and the Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba law
firm near the Route 309/Interstate 78 interchange.
“We like the growing business here; we like this
particular corridor because of access to [Interstate] 78,” Urban said. “We can
attract businesses in the Allentown/Bethlehem market.”
The hotel will be designed to attract business guests, as
well as families, friends and sports teams, he added, noting that the company’s
hotels cater to sports teams.
The building should be complete and ready to open by next
summer, he added.
Last month, the company bought the property at 3800 West
Drive from Lehigh University, Urban said. Lehigh County property records show
the company bought the nine-acre site for $2 million.
A privately held company, High Hotels Ltd. is a
subsidiary of High Construction, which would build the hotel as the general
contractor. Greenfield Architects Ltd., another affiliate of the company, is
the architect for the project. Rettew Associates of Lancaster, which has an
office in Allentown, was the civil engineer.
Integrity Bank, a division of S&T Bank, was the
lending partner.
Rick Stoudt, president of High Construction Co., said the
company would use a block and plank type of construction for the
85,000-square-foot hotel, as opposed to wood.
The groundbreaking celebrates another historic milestone
for High Hotels, said Laurel Rolle, director of operations for High Hotels. The
company has a partnership with Marriott and operates many Marriott hotels.
She said she is looking forward to bringing the
SpringHill Suites by Marriott brand to the region and being on-site on a
monthly basis once the hotel is up and running.
The hotel will include separate living and kitchen areas
in each room, a business center, fitness center, pool and free Wi-Fi, among
other amenities.
“We know this hotel will complement the other products in
the market,” Rolle said.
Source: LVB
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