Negotiations continue for the Bloomington Convention Center expansion project’s planned hotel site.
John Whikehart, president of the Capital Improvement Board, told WFIU’s Noon Edition Friday Dora Hospitality was selected to build the hotel, but is not interested in properties owned by the board.
“Although we were offering them south and west as locations to build, their preferred space was to the north - the former Bunger Robertson property,” he said.
Read more: Whikehart on tariffs, parking, hotels for convention center expansion
That property is owned by the City of Bloomington’s Redevelopment Commission. Whikehart said the board hopes a deal can be made.
“We told the hotelier and the city: make this happen,” he said. “We need this full-service hotel. This is the best of the three options that were available to us.”
A full-service hotel would include about 200 rooms, a full restaurant and bar, wellness center, valet parking, and more.
Related: City council approves convention center property transfer
At the time of publication, the Redevelopment Commission had not responded to WFIU/WTIU’s request for an update on hotel negotiations.
Any delay in hotel construction could result in its opening after the expanded convention center becomes operational.
Groundbreaking on the expansion begins in June.