Plans for the new Comfort Inn & Suites Hotel west of Fairfield have been scaled back, with the project now expected to feature 50 rooms instead of the originally proposed 70.
WFIW spoke with Fairfield Mayor, Gary Moore Monday who said he anticipates construction could begin as early as this summer and despite the reduction in size, the developer still intends to include a sit-down restaurant alongside the hotel.
The project is being developed by Sam Ramadan of O’Fallon, together with a group of investors. Mayor Moore explained that the decision to downsize was likely made to better align with current project costs.
Initial estimates had placed the development at approximately $11 million, but revised projections have lowered the figure to about $8 million.
The hotel will be constructed on roughly eight acres of city-owned property designated for the development. The site is located off Williamson Drive, just east of Chava’s Cantina and Grill.
Moore also noted that Ramadan has secured financing for the project through a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The scaled-back project will still provide a boost to the local economy and attract more visitors to Fairfield.