The long-dormant two-brand hotel project on East Second Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets, which has left a huge piece of land across from Gazpacho Restaurant, is still alive.
After more than a year without work on the construction site, Jeff Lamont, CEO of Aberdeen, Lamont Cos of South Dakota.Work should continue over the next three months with the construction of a two-story park structure.
The company recently granted a $ 158,834 incorporation permit to begin work.
“We have definitely put the project with COVID on hold,” said Lamont. “It worked for us. We had already carried out the construction site work and decided to wait before building the parking ramp. “
The timing of rebuilding the structure, which will house a 102-room AC Hotel by Marriott and a 100-room Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton, remains dependent on declining threats from the novel coronavirus, Lamont said. A date for the resumption of construction has not yet been set.
The hotel project under construction on East Second Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets will include a 102-room AC Hotel by Marriott and a 100-room Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
The East Second Avenue hotel project in Durango is still alive
The hotel project under construction on East Second Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Streets will include a 102-room AC Hotel by Marriott and a 100-room Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
In spring, when construction resumes, a new technology for Durango, modular construction, will be used to reduce disruption in the neighborhood.
The pillars for the parking garage are pre-cast and shipped. When the construction of the hotel begins, the rooms will be built modularly outside the site and transported by truck.
“The entire room will be ready. You could make the bed and put the towels in it. The only thing you have to do is connect the lines and the electrical system, ”Lamont said.
Any semi-trailer truck brought in using modular units will have two rooms and the portion of the hallway that serves the room, and they will be built Lego-style, Lamont said.
About 80 modular units will be combined to build each of the hotels, he said.
“We believe this will mitigate some of the noise the neighborhood would hear from a normal construction site,” he said.
Nicol Killian, deputy director of community development for Durango City, said the modular structure will move quickly once it reaches the stage where rooms can be stacked and placed on top of the structure. This was one of the reasons the modular structure was chosen for the project.
Lamont Cos. Recently granted a $ 158,834 charter license to begin work on the East Second Avenue hotel project with two brands.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
The East Second Avenue hotel project in Durango is still alive
Lamont Cos. Recently granted a $ 158,834 charter license to begin work on the East Second Avenue hotel project with two brands.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
The project required approval from the State Regulatory Oversight Bureau, which oversees the modular structure in the state.
“It’s a unique development for Durango,” she said. “If you start it will be quick once you have your building permit.”
The hotels will serve the high- to mid-end of the market and include a small bar and grill, Lamont said. A couple of small retail stores could also be involved in the development, but that has yet to be completed, he said.
“What we liked best about this project was the location. The train and downtown Durango are within walking distance, ”he said.
Marriott and Hilton were looking for Lamont Cos. On to develop the hotels, but Lamont Cos. Also researched the Durango housing market before agreeing to continue development, Lamont said.
“Durango showed a heavy load,” he said. “It was definitely down during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not as strong as other markets.”
The long-dormant hotel project with two brands on East Second Avenue has left a huge piece of land opposite the Gazpacho Restaurant.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
The East Second Avenue hotel project in Durango is still alive
The long-dormant hotel project with two brands on East Second Avenue has left a huge piece of land opposite the Gazpacho Restaurant.
Jerry McBride / Durango Herald
Remote rural attractions like Yellowstone National Park outperformed other tourist destinations during the pandemic, and Lamont said Durango followed this trend.
“All over the country you have seen the leisure markets do better,” he said.
The two hotels, which share common areas, will employ between 70 and 100 people, Lamont said.
He declined to give a dollar amount for the project, calling it a multi-million dollar investment instead.
The project is one of three hotel developments Lamont Cos. Currently working across the country, he said.
Lamont Cos. Founded in 1998 by Lamont, it develops franchise hotels, convention centers, restaurants, shopping centers, apartment complexes and casinos.
