City Council votes 6-1 to negotiate the purchase of Crowne Plaza

The City Council tonight voted 6-1 to have the city manager negotiate to buy the city's only downtown hotel, the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel, from creditors who purchased it at a sheriff's sale in December.

Mayor Ron Corbett said a hotel consultant hired by the city has put the hotel's value at $2.2 million. The city intends to offer less because of post-flood repairs still needed at the hotel.

Council member Chuck Wieneke voted no. He said he wanted to know how much it will cost the city to refurbish the hotel so the city can one day sell it.

Council member Tom Podzimek said the city's $67-million Event Center project around the hotel makes it a good time to buy and renovate the hotel. The city will gain cost efficiencies if it renovates the hotel as it builds a new convention center and renovates the U.S. Cellular Center arena around it at the same time, he said.