Hotel Project Development Appears To Have Slowed Down
By Darren Hunt
EL PASO — Progress on the new downtown DoubleTree Hotel in El Paso seems to have slowed to a snail’s pace if even that, but officials with the city said Monday they don’t anticipate any problems with the project’s continuation.
What was once the International Hotel was stripped of all usable parts, pieces and detritus several months ago and now stands as a shell of its former self. But developers are at work to transform the building into a new 210-room DoubleTree hotel for El Paso visitors to enjoy.
The $18 million estimated cost is one of the largest investments in the downtown area in over 20 years. El Paso attorney and property owner Jim Scherr was not available for comment on the various incentives for completing the renovation project.
But in speaking with city officials, ABC-7 discovered that Scherr obtained the necessary building permits in November, 2007 and they were awaiting his next move.
“Sometimes, after a permit is issued, it takes a few weeks to mobilize equipment, new supplies and that might be part of what’s going on right now,” said Larry Nichols, director of Developmental Services for the city.
Mayor John Cook speculates that the lack of forward progress may be due to the scarcity of workers over the holiday season and cold winter weather. Nichols was confident that work would continue, but said that Scherr has until May to show some development of new hotel.
“Normally people don’t come in, pay the architect to do the plans and pay the money for the permit fee, expend those types of interest in the project and then not do anything,”Nichols said.
The $8,000 building permit alone is incentive enough to expect development to proceed in the near future. Scherr is also eligible for a tax incentive if the project is completed and the hotel opened by June 1 of 2009.
For those reasons, Nicholssaid that he is “not overly concerned about somethingnothappening there, but if at the end of the six months that permit has not been acted on, then that permit will be revoked.”
