New hotels coming to Cedar Rapids, Marion

The northern side of the Corridor also is seeing its share of new hotel activity.

An 82-room Tru by Hilton is under construction at Westdale Mall and is expected to be finished later this year. Construction of a 72-room Comfort Inn also has started off America Drive near The Eastern Iowa Airport.

Kinseth Hospitality announced Wednesday it would construct an 88-room TownPlace Suites by Marriott at 2873 Seventh Ave. in Marion. The city has discussed with developers the potential for a hotel at that location for years.

'This will be a signature project in the redevelopment of Marion's former railroad corridor,” Marion City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said in a news release.

At least one other hotel has been proposed for Cedar Rapids, but plans are not yet finalized. One Park Place, the 28-story tower proposed for downtown, would include a hotel, but the developer faces a November deadline to present its proof of financing to city officials.

Aaron McCreight, CEO of GO Cedar Rapids, said the area has seen healthy growth in hotel occupancy in recent years.

'If we were to put 1,000 more hotel rooms in this city overnight, so to speak, without the demand, I think that would be tough on a lot of our existing hotels. We're in a good place right now,” he said.

One negative, he said, is a lack of more hotels in downtown Cedar Rapids that could support the DoubleTree convention center.

'We need some more rooms downtown. I've made no bones about it,” he said.

McCreight said the Cedar Rapids metro could see more hotel development once Prospect Meadows, a 17-field baseball and softball complex, is underway northeast of Marion.

'We remain very hopeful that we will be moving dirt still later this fall” on Prospect Meadows, said McCreight, who is on the board for the project.

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; matthew.patane@thegazette.com