LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Allen County Port Authority is moving forward with possible revitalization options for Memorial Hall, including the potential to redevelop the historic building into a boutique hotel.
The Port Authority recently named Freytag and Associates of Sidney as the design firm and Weigand Construction of Fort Wayne as the contractor to determine the feasibility of transforming Memorial Hall into a “boutique hotel,” categorized as a small, stylish hotel in an urban setting with a distinct character.
Leaders say the goal is to honor the building’s history while approaching redevelopment in an organized and strategic manner.
Dave Stratton, president and CEO of the Greater Lima Region, said the project remains in the exploratory phase.
“It may be that we'll consider a boutique hotel, but there would be other options that could take place in May. We'll identify whether or not there would be financial responsibility for a boutique hotel, and then if that moves forward to the next step, then we would look at October as a timetable to validate that as being the option we're going to pursue.”
Officials estimate it would cost approximately $25 million to redevelop Memorial Hall into a boutique hotel. Funding would come from a combination of private investors and state capital dollars.
The feasibility study is expected to help determine whether the project is financially viable before any final decisions are made.
