New downtown hotel will be two brands, bigger than planned

May 7, 2018

A hotel that will be built in downtown Sioux Falls as part of a city-owned parking ramp could be the state’s tallest building if officials approve plans to add two more stories.

Lamont Cos. wants to add two stories to its original plan for the hotel along 10th Street east of Phillips Avenue and make it two brands instead of one.

That would make it a 15-story building – four stories more than the CenturyLink building, which is thought to hold the current height record.

But they’re close enough that Lamont founder Jeff Lamont thinks the Sioux Falls Regional Airport will sign off on the plans.

“We don’t know if it will be approved, but we think it will,” he said.

The city and project partners broke ground on the project today.

The two brands will include 215 rooms and an option for extended stays.

“We’re going with an upscale extended stay (brand), and there isn’t any extended stay in downtown yet, so we like that, and the other brand is more of an upscale boutique brand,” Lamont said.

Those agreements should be finalized soon, he said.

The expanded concept also includes another level on a shorter building facing 10th Street that is planned for retail, hotel amenities and events.

The hotel lobby, with a bar and restaurant in it, will take part of the first floor, and the rest is left for retail. Coffee shops are looking at it already, Lamont said.

Second through fourth floors will include room for one or two bars and restaurants, 15,000 square feet of meeting space and hotel amenities such as a swimming pool and fitness center.

While designs are being finalized, the project is expected to have one or two rooftop terraces that would offer additional space for gatherings.

The city-owned ramp includes 525 spaces, and although the hotel could be using more of them, Lamont thinks it won’t be an issue.

“It will work well because our guests arrive at 5 or 6 p.m. and stay until 7 a.m., and the city wants to use it from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., so it’s basically the perfect marriage of two different uses. They will have most of the spaces all day to use for business use and downtown.”

Lamont is familiar with the Sioux Falls market.

His company has constructed, owns and is managing more than 50 franchised hotels, convention centers, restaurants and residential apartment components throughout the U.S., including the Homewood Suites by Hilton and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott, both located near Louise Avenue and Interstate 229.

Construction will start with the shell of the building and the parking ramp. Journey Group is the project’s contractor and plans to have that part done by next fall. The development is expected to open in mid-2020.

Lamont is the manager of Village River Group LLC, which was formed with Legacy Developments to oversee the project. The other members of Village River Group are Paul Cink, Larry Canfield and Norm Drake. All three and Lamont will serve as personal guarantors on the project.

 

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New downtown hotel will be two brands, bigger than planned

The new hotel being built in downtown Sioux Falls as part of a city-owned parking ramp could be the state’s tallest building if officials approve plans to add two more stories.

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