More News

A team of Frederick business leaders were scheduled to present Wednesday what it would take to bring a hotel and conference center to downtown Frederick.

Frederick city leaders were set to hear the presentation from the Downtown Hotel/Conference Center Team on Wednesday during the Mayor and Board of Aldermen Workshop. The presentation and the discussion took place after The Gazette's press time. Check www.gazette.net for coverage.

The team is comprised of members of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Major Employers' Group, the Downtown Frederick Partnership, the Tourism Council of Frederick County and the Frederick Office of Economic Development.

The groups have been working as a team since last summer, but city business leaders have meeting to discuss the viability of a hotel and conference center for years, said Richard Griffin, director of the city's economic development office.

According to material provided prior to the workshop, the purpose of the presentation is to show how the team came to the conclusion that a "full-service flagship hotel with a conference/banquet meeting space, amenities and parking is feasible in downtown Frederick."

"It's just a presentation from the business community to tell us the feasibility of it," confirmed Frederick Mayor Randy McClement (R) earlier this week.

Griffin, who will present the material, said Tuesday that the team is looking to get feedback from the mayor and Board of Aldermen.

"From that point, we're hopeful that developers ... will start to get their interest piqued and we would see the beginning of the process to move this to completion," Griffin said, adding that the project is several years from completion.

The team will advise that a downtown hotel conference center will serve as a critical asset for attracting and expanding jobs, foot traffic and business, according to a summary of the team's findings.

"A new downtown hotel is a significant undertaking and will require a public/private partnership and several years of effort to bring to fruitution," the summary concludes.

Specific details were scheduled to be presented to aldermen during the workshop, but in the team's summary, it provided general feasibility findings, which concluded that the hotel should:

- Include a large meeting room/ ballroom and breakout meeting space

- Be located within walking distance of downtown amenities

- Include parking for hotel guests

- Have eco-friendly design and construction

The findings did not identify possible locations. Griffin said the group will be careful not to promote a specific site.

The team's feasibility study was due to be available to the public on Wednesday. Those interested can find it at www.businessinfrederick.com.

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.