BUSINESS

Old Town Fort Collins hotel opening pushed to October

Completion of the Elizabeth Hotel is taking slightly longer than some anticipated

Pat Ferrier
The Coloradoan
Construction continues on The Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town. The hotel is set to open in October.

Developers of the long-awaited Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins are zeroing in on an October opening, about a month later than some had anticipated.

The 164-room hotel at 111 Chestnut St., is taking shape near the corner of Walnut Street and Mountain Avenue in the heart of Old Town. Windows are in, the brick facade on the five-story structure is partially finished and the adjacent public/private parking garage is nearly complete.

The hotel is a partnership with Bohemian Cos., which owns the land; Sage Hospitality, which will manage the hotel and restaurant; and Loveland-based McWhinney, Inc., which is serving as the developer. The overall project cost is not being released.

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The site was the former home of Armadillo restaurant, the 120-year-old ghost garage near Walnut and Chestnut streets and Iasis Church.

The hotel includes 3,400 square feet of conference space, the Emporium Kitchen & Wine Market created by Sage Restaurant Group, rooftop and lobby bars, 3,900 square feet of retail space and the parking garage, at 165 Chestnut St.

City officials had estimated the 323-space garage which would serve both hotel guests and the public would be completed in late August, about a month before the hotel.

"The garage is still on track to be done the latter part of August," said Ken Mannon, head of operations services for the city of Fort Collins.

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But Kate Davis, a spokeswoman for the developers, said the hotel is now expected to open in October.

Although garage construction will be done in August, Mannon said he was unsure when the garage would open to the public. The city will still need to install technology, including panels that will direct drivers to vacant spaces, and payment stalls.

The opening could be timed more closely to the hotel's opening, he said.  

In addition to parking spaces, the garage will have 2,650 square feet of retail space on the first floor, much like the public parking garage on Mason Street. 

The $11.5 million garage is being built through a partnership among the city, the Downtown Development Authority and hotel developers. 

About one-third of the cost of building the garage will be paid by Bohemian Cos., with the city kicking in the remaining two thirds, or about $7.5 million. The Downtown Development Authority will contribute up to $3.9 million — $300,000 annually beginning in 2019 — to help the city pay its share of the garage at the corner of Chestnut and Jefferson streets.

Fort Collins City Council on Wednesday will take up a resolution that will authorize the city to acquire its portion of the parking structure. 

The Elizabeth Hotel is named for "Auntie" Elizabeth Stone, owner of the first hotel in Fort Collins and the woman considered as the city's founding mother. Her cabin is located at 200 Mathews St. in Fort Collins.

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The Elizabeth Hotel 

111 Chestnut St. 

  • 164 guest rooms
  • 117,664 total square feet
  • 3,900 square feet of retail
  • 3.400 square feet of meeting and conference space
  • 323-space garage
  •  Onsite restaurant, rooftop bar, lobby bar