New Hotel coming?
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published July 2, 2008

City officials are working on ways to develop more room at the inn on Great Northern Boulevard.

Members of the administration and city law department were given a recommendation by city council’s Building, Zoning and Development committee to formally reclassify potential land use of 13.59 acres of land west of Great Northern Boulevard near Interstate 480 for development of a hotel. Currently, the permitted usage is for offices, but administration officials came to council after BIW Properties about possible development of the land with a hotel. The recommendation came at a June 24 BZD meeting after Robert Benjamin, a BIW Properties vice president, made a presentation to the panel on conceptual details of a possible hotel on the property.

“It would give us additional options,” said City Planning Director Kim Wenger. “The land has been vacant for some time and this is a use which would still fit within the area around it with other business and the residential development around that particular area.”

She said the property north of the land was to be developed as a hotel originally but was ultimately sold to Moen Inc., and developed into its building and offices on the land.

“We believe offices would still be a good use of the other properties but also believe a hotel would be a good use for it,” Wenger said.

Benjamin said BIW has developed other properties through the years. She said the group got its efforts under way largely under the direction of noted developer Bart Wolstein, with Iris Wolstein now running the company.

In its current conception, Benjamin said BIW sees the possible hotel on the property as about 140 rooms, with meeting rooms and food facilities to go along with it.

“It could be used by businesses in the area or people could come in from elsewhere and use the facilities,” he said.

It would be similar to other hotels in the Canton or Aurora areas, he said.

Benjamin said the group has not been able to secure any deals to date for developing the property as offices. He said the group would like to retain the right to develop the property as offices but said they believe it could be developed as a good hotel.

When asked by the committee if BIW would retain control of the property if a hotel is developed or sell it, Benjamin said the firm has done both successfully on other properties and could do either here, depending on what appears to be the best course of action. Benjamin said they wanted to approach the city and give general concepts before proceeding further.

In endorsing having the city law department start taking the steps to alter a court judgment to allow reclassification, committee members said the plan as it stands should benefit the city.

Committee Chairman Paul Barker said it could be extremely beneficial.

“It would enhance the area if it it’s done right,” Barker said. “Adding a top facility to the area makes it even more attractive to our city and people who come in and utilize it. In addition to our city, it could benefit the entire Greater Cleveland area by adding more hotel rooms. That means more people can come into the entire area because there would be more room for them.”

Barker said he had one concern that he’ll watch as the project proceeds.

“We want to make sure we get a hotel and not a motel or motor type inn,” he said. “It’s a great location and we want to make sure we utilize it properly.”

Michael Gareau Jr., a BZD committee member who also chairs council’s finance committee, also saw pluses.

“It’s a great concept,” Gareau said. “It would benefit the other businesses in the area and fit in well with Moen, Great Northern Mall and the others.”

He said it also would bring in additional economic benefits to the city in the form of business property and payroll taxes.

“With that location by (I) 480, it could do very well,” Gareau said.

Ward 4 Councilman Larry Orlowski checked on how it would affects the residences in the area, with Benjamin saying they have worked well with nearby homes and residents in other areas.