A new project to convert hotels rooms into apartments was approved by the Bloomington Plan Commission Monday night.
The 85 rooms at the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel on North Walnut Street near the State Road 45/46 bypass will be turned into 85 one-bedroom apartments.
Bramic Design Group out of Tucson, Arizona is the architect of the project and is expecting 60 to 90 days of construction before the hotel rooms are fully refurbished into multifamily units.
"Hotels these days just really aren’t performing because of the pandemic," said architect Gene Goldstein. "We'll take some of the hotel-oriented uses like the lobby and reception and turn them into co-workspace."
Goldstein said the three-story building will be renovated with a brand-new fitness center, laundry facility and game room to fit the mold for modern amenities. He also said each room will have new flooring and a kitchenette installed.
As far as the cost of these units, Goldstein said the aim is for market-priced, but not luxury apartments.
"They will not be high-end rents at all. They’ll be more toward the lower end because the amount of remodeling being done."
The affordable component of the project was well received by the Plan Commission.
"Micro apartments are another way to expand the menu of affordability for people because they certainly, even at market rate, offer an option that is less expensive than a traditional one-bedroom unit," said plan commissioner Karin St. John.
Within the next three to four weeks, Bramic Design Group will submit their building and site permits to the city with the goal of starting construction as soon as those are approved.
The building is expected to be available for renters this fall.
