Organization

Blackman DDA to review bids for road work near new Holiday Inn

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Keith Roberts
kroberts@citpat.com
768-4922

The future of Northpointe Town Center may be uncertain, but the hotel that would be next door to the upscale, open-air mall is still set to open in July.

On Wednesday, the Blackman Township Downtown Development Authority will review bids to extend a road and a water main to the Holiday Inn. The project estimate was $302,000. Engineer Jack Ripstra said the township received six bids and the lowest was about $245,000.

The contract calls for completion of the work by July 1. Bhogi Patel, owner of the Holiday Inn, said he plans to open the hotel in July and hopes the road work is done early.

``We’re going to have a lot of people coming in with deliveries,’’ Patel said. ``I would like to have it done sooner—not on the day before.’’

Ripstra said the road to the hotel would extend about 1,000 feet from the east end of the Meijer parking lot. The road there now is dirt and gravel.

The four-story hotel looks like it’s nearly completed when viewed from the freeway, but the entrance is still under construction, and while the siding is up on the front of the building, only about half is up on the rear.

The 99-room hotel will have the franchise’s new look and decor as well as a pool, banquet room and restaurant. It will also be the only Holiday Inn around since the old one off U.S. 127 changed its name last year.

Patel, who also owns the nearby Country Inn & Suites, said hotel occupancy rates have fallen during the recession. He said he would like to see Northpointe Town Center go in, but he’s not depending on it.

``I did not plan according to their project. I was going to do it anyway,’’ Patel said. ``But it would definitely help.’’

Plans for the mall surfaced in 2006. Northpointe developer Ramco-Gershenson, which also owns Jackson Crossing and Jackson Crossing West, got a one-year extension a year ago.

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners today will consider giving Ramco-Gershenson another 18 months to finalize a purchase agreement for the land.

Ripstra said Blackman Township is still planning to extend a road to the mall but won’t undertake any major expenses until the project moves forward.