Administrative work is now complete and construction could begin in the next 60 to 90 days on a new hotel and convention center in Emporia.
That’s according to city leadership who spoke with KVOE News following the Emporia City Commission’s approval of a development agreement for the project through Fairview Hotels at 3010 Eaglecrest Drive Tuesday morning. This was the latest step in the process to bring an 88-room hotel and convention center to the former Montana Mike’s location, a project that has been in the works the past several years.
Approval of the agreement followed previous actions by Emporia City Commissioners which granted the development Community Improvement District Status and declared the city’s intent to issue industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) upon the project’s completion. The CID status will institute a two percent sales tax on the new building and the pre-existing Hampton Inn at 2900 Eaglecrest which is owned by the same company.
The city has no financial obligations to the project and will simply act as a passthrough for the IRBs. The city will also receive a three percent administrative fee for its efforts to assist in the development of the project.
Emporia Director of Special Projects Tayler Wash tells KVOE News the project is a win for all involved as the previous actions provide great incentives to the developers and help to bring a much-needed addition to the community.
City consultant Jim Witt tells KVOE News construction could begin in June and be completed by late 2025, however, an exact timeline is not readily available.
