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Speculation on a new downtown Sacramento hotel project first announced years ago may be over. It's looking very likely that the project will be a 255-room, 14-story Residence Inn by Marriott.
The hotel, projected to have a construction cost of $37 million, is in the heart of downtown. The site at 15th and L streets is near the new Meridian Plaza office building, the massive East End state office complex and the Sacramento Convention Center.
The hotel was approved by the city at the end of last year, and construction was supposed to have begun this spring. It's expected construction will instead start with the new year, although Tony Giannoni - president of the Allen Group, the developer of Meridian Plaza, its parking garage and the hotel would not discuss the hotel.
The Residence's construction schedule seemed to stall amid sluggish tourist and corporate travel. The Allen Group may also have been waiting to complete construction of the Meridian Plaza, which it did this summer. Giannoni said the garage could be done by the end of this month.
Boon or bust? More than just adding rooms, adding a Marriott Hotels Corp. franchise to downtown's room mix would be a boon for the city's convention business, say some hoteliers. Marriott is a leader in convention business.
Greater Sacramento has 14 Marriott properties, but none is...