New hotel coming to Coralville’s west side near I-80/380 interchange

CORALVILLE — A dual-brand hotel and retail building are coming to the west side of Coralville off Interstate 80.

The Coralville City Council on Tuesday night gave unanimous final approval to rezone 3.84 acres of land to make way for the hotel and retail buildings on Westcor Drive that are anticipated to create 50 jobs.

The developer hopes to attract a national chain — such as Starbucks or Panera Bread — to the retail building.

The proposed development is near the Interstate 80/380 interchange. It will be next to Theisen’s and about a mile west of restaurants on Commerce Drive that include Cheddar’s, Steak and Shake and Raising Cane’s.

The 65,028-square-foot hotel will be four stories with 139 rooms. The two brands are Avid Hotel with 71 rooms and Candlewood Suites with 68 rooms.

John Crump, chief operating officer of JD Royal Hospitality, told the council in January it is “basically two hotels in one structure.” JD Royal Hospitality, based out of Bettendorf, is the developer on this project.

Crump said the company is excited to bring this development to Coralville.

The 3,600-square-foot retail building will be one story with three units, as well as a drive-through. It is near the hotel with parking separating the two buildings.

In addition to the potential national chain, Crump said other tenants of the retail building could be another restaurant or retail.

The hotel will have about 25 employees, Crump said. Ten employees will be part-time and 15 will be full-time. The retail building will have up to 25 employees, he said.

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