Janesville might get new hotel
Photo
Land on the city's north side is being considered for a new hotel deveopment. In this 2002 file photo, I-90-94 is at left with Hwy 26 crossing in the center of the photo. The existing Hampton Inn property is located at the photo's center. The land under consideration is the green space between the existing development and the railroad tracks (going L-R) in the upper portion of the photo.
JANESVILLE — Janesville might be getting a new hotel next year, but so far, details about the plan are being kept under wraps.
The city council will hear a request Monday from Hendricks Development Group to rezone land at 2304 and 2305 Fulton Street to allow commercial development, including a hotel.
Hendricks Development Group owns two lots totaling 8.5 acres on the addresses, just north of Interstate 90/39 behind the CB&K Supply building. It plans to sell 2 acres to a developer interested in building a hotel, said Mark Membrino, development manager.
The land currently is zoned for general industrial use.
Membrino declined to release details about the buyer or the hotel, saying only the hotel will be “more upscale.”
The development group has a contract with the buyer, contingent on the rezone, but hasn’t closed the sale, he said.
Since the closing of Ramada Inn in 2006, several groups have looked at building a hotel in the area, Membrino said.
“With Ramada going out, absolutely (there’s a need),” he said.
But Christine Rebout, executive director of the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said it’s tough to know how a new hotel will do, given the current local and national economic conditions.
“Janesville’s whole economy is changing from what we’ve known in the past, so how corporate travel will change, how tourism will change in the next few years is a tough question to answer,” she said.
Janesville’s hotel industry is cyclical, she said: Hotels tend to be booked solid in the summer but have vacancies during the rest of the year.
But Membrino is confident Janesville will bounce back from its economic slowdown and a new hotel will do well, he said.
“I know there’s a lot of gloom and doom out there,” he said. “I think we’re going have some rough times in the short term, but I think there’s a lot we can look forward to.”
City staff is recommending the city council refer the rezone request to the plan commission for review and schedule a public hearing for Monday, Oct. 13.
If approved, the hotel could open sometime in 2009, Membrino said.
Sep 10, 2008 at 3:39 p.m.
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kmart by farm and fleet at least 37 years old. i remember when i was we. glass windows and ladies clothes right up front. icees and funny tasting round ham sandwiches at a food counter.
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:25 p.m.
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bbeecher...actually, the K-mart that is by Farm&Fleet had been where it is for decades before they tried it on the south side. The southside store had been Belscot before that. If I recall correctly, it was still Belscot when I went to Edison in the mid '70s.
Sep 8, 2008 at 8:04 p.m.
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Dear Mr. Woodsman, first off you have a comment that was removed, then you rip on me! No I am not a thug or a wanna be one. I am a respected 45 year old member of this community that has lived here all her life!!! Yes, I remember those days and so does the whole United States!!!! Every city has its bad parts of town and downtown happens to be ours. And yes, there are worse places to live than Janesville. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!!
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:49 p.m.
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they didnt mention downtown in article- a blogger just mentionedWHAT IF OR WHY NOT downtown
Sep 8, 2008 at 1:46 p.m.
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-bb/ who their must not be crime in downtown chicago,milw or madison,. they have hotal that do well and are open. better call them, warn then to close!
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:58 a.m.
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They didn't move the Kmart from the southside to the one out on Milton Ave. When the one on Milton Avenue was built, it was a second Kmart location in Janesville. The southside store eventually closed.
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:33 a.m.
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The southside used to have a K-mart...it was where the current job center is right now...they moved it to where the current one is at in the early 90s
Sep 8, 2008 at 9:24 a.m.
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If Janesville is going to get another hotel, it would be smart to build it on the south side--there's nothing over there! All we have are dollar stores and a few restaurants. Having a hotel over there might increase business at some of the local restaurants there (not like any of them are that great). It would also make sense to move a store like K-Mart or Shopko over there, but that would never happen. Who plans where things are built, anyway? Regarding building a nice hotel downtown--where is there a big enough space for that? Until the downtown area is improved, a nice, new hotel would look out of place in that area.
Sep 7, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
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True with the comment that the hotel would possibly be situated at I90 and Highway 26.
The point is, at least mine is, we cannot just cater to the "upscale" neighborhoods to make this a REAL community again. We all (higher income areas included) must band together to make the ENTIRE community a better Janesville. It will not accomplish anything to identify the needs and wants of one part of town when the other areas are neglected.
Sep 7, 2008 at 2:18 a.m.
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Karen: Maybe you were just a sparkle in someones eye,to not remember Janesville at its height of its time's,keys in the ignition,doors unlocked,walking ANY street in town after dark,with NO worries of thugs,trusting whole neighborhoods,not just MAYBE one or two,YOU i do think don't remember our town as it WAS,or weren't here yet!! If you think these problems we are talking about that make our town unsafe,seem to NOT bother you, THEN what I think IS,you might NOT think things are as bad as we think,because MAYBE you accept these kind of people in our town to make some of us feel NOT SAFE! I hope you aren't saying YOU are one of them?? OR your not seeing the scum bags as threats like we are,and YES i do have people in my back pocket.
Sep 7, 2008 at 1:05 a.m.
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I agree, where in that article does it say anything about downtown? All of you that say Janesville is so bad, why don't you move? You could live in a worse place.
Sep 6, 2008 at 10:56 p.m.
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where does it say anything about building a hotel in the downtown area. the article said I90 & 94. isnt any where near downtown janesville
Sep 6, 2008 at 9:01 p.m.
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Before any downtown revitalization can amount to anything, something must be done about the blight of ear splitting noise created by vehicles with no mufflers.
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WHO can possible enjoy a downtown experience with THAT???
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And why WOULDN'T we have "gang bangers" and "punks" ignoring the laws given the hipocrisy of law enforcement and prosecutorial entities allowing these idiots to blatantly flout the law.
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Their attitude is probably ...."they can flout the laws, so I can too.
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Sep 6, 2008 at 8:49 p.m.
Sep 6, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.
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I have to agree that an upscale hotel would be an advantage to the city. I definitelty agree that something needs to be placed downtown to draw the people downtown. Besides, are the majority of the people that need those jobs, even at or close to minimum wage, close to downtown? Wouldn't that be a viable opportunity for a business AND for employees? Yes, some would need training and coaching, but it is a great way to get the revitalization started in the downtown area.
Sep 6, 2008 at 6:21 p.m.
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Janesvillemom, you are crazy. Who would want to stay downtown in that crime infested area. Just recently another dirtbag stole 130 kids soccer shirts from the YMCA. Sure, that is nothing compared to the little gang-bangers that where shooting at people at the boys and girls club down there, but it is pretty bad.
Sep 6, 2008 at 4:40 p.m.
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Two of the times I have gone to children's museums it has been when my husband was going to a conference at a downtown hotel and I took the kids to the children's museum while he was attending meetings because it was close by. That's what made me think of a conference center downtown.
Sep 6, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.
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janesvillemom, a downtown hotel would need two things difficult to come by: a parcel large enough to build on, and a chain interested in the mid-city location (along the interstate, at least you get passing traffic).
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There are already a couple of B&Bs downtown, but whether there's demand for more I can't say.
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I also don't think the jobs (mainly entry-level) are nearly as important as the catalyst effect that hotel space means for business and tourism. If someone really wants to back this, that would be a great vote of confidence for the long term.
Sep 6, 2008 at 2:25 p.m.
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at least its not another check cashing,auto parts,dollar store
Sep 6, 2008 at 12:32 p.m.
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How about a hotel/convention center downtown? Aren't we trying to revitalize the downtown? That would certainly draw people and support other businesses there.
Sep 6, 2008 at 8:10 a.m.
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Hmmm.... a request that will provide jobs in an economy that is loosing some big hitters. This seems like a no brainer to me. I understand the need to understand the project, but let's not make this another political debate in our city/county government. Even though many of them will be entry level jobs, a job on the horizon is better than not having any way to feed your family.
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