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NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
VILLAGE NEWS >> ROMEOVILLE
Holiday Inn to break ground this spring New development will consist of a four-story Holiday Inn Express hotel By Laura Katauskas Bugle Staff @BugleNewspapers sweditor@buglenewspapers.com
Working to transform a uniquesized lot to make way for new development, Holiday Inn will soon break ground on Romeoville’s newest hotel. The 2.35 acre site along Normantown Road, off of Interstate 55, will sit between Creme de la Creme preschool and the Bowlero bowling area. The new development will consist of a four-story Holiday Inn Express hotel with 96 guest rooms, an indoor pool, meeting rooms, fitness center, business center, breakfast/lounge space and an outdoor patio space. Mayor John Noak said there is a great demand for hotel space and that the new addition will most likely be the nicest product of its kind in that area, bringing with it other benefits and the possibility of attracting more development including restaurants to the area. “Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Romeoville,” said Noak. “Whether it be for graduations or campus visits, sporting tournaments, or work related purposes, these people need places to stay. This new Holiday Inn will give them another option in Romeoville. Hotels are a great addition to the community
as it helps market other sites for development such as restaurants and entertainment.” Not previously designed for hotel space, the configuration of the lot has caused a few obstacles in construction. “Because of where the roads and the lots are located, we’ve had to work with public works to squeeze in utilities; they are all around this building and cause a lot of things to ripple through this project,” said Community Development Director Steve Rockwell. Those unique barriers were met with variances to village code and waiving some requirements to allow for the construction of the building. Rockwell said the developer has accommodated all of the village’s requests to make this project work. Issues such as tree replacement,
which is normally required but undoable because of the area, will be balanced out by increased landscaping and masonry work. Developers and Noak also assured that there will be enough distance from the nearby preschool as to not interfere with their pick-up and drop off schedule for students. Signage will be taller than average height, but is needed due to its close proximity to I-55. “We didn’t have a problem with that; we want everyone to be excited to see it and find it,” said Rockwell. “We’ve been asked, why so many variances but it is because it’s a small lot and the developer has complied with every one of our requests.” The developer is expected to break ground in May and to be complete in summer 2019.
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