SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) – The Wyndham hotel filed another proposal Tuesday to convert parts of its hotel into apartment buildings.
This is the third proposal by the Wyndham’s owner, selling the current hotel to New York developer Good Homes Inc. and converting 275 of its 400 hotels into apartments.
“For good of Downtown Springfield and all of Springfield, we need to get this transfer of ownership done,” the proposal reads. “We have no better options.”
The first proposal wanted to convert 80 hotel rooms and 320 apartments, which came up two votes short. The second vote upped it to 100 hotel rooms and 300 apartments, but still failed.
The main reasons council members denied the zoning proposal was lack of hotel space downtown, especially in times of special programming like conventions.
“I just feel that if we were to lose a great number of hotel rooms, that we are going to never get back downtown,” Alderman Jim Donelan said before voting no on the second proposal.
Mayor of Springfield Jim Langfelder said between the second and third proposal that 125 hotel rooms is the magic number for zoning approval.
“I’ve talked to several council members that voted no and said, ‘Oh, if it was 125, we could do it,’” Langfelder said.
Springfield economic development experts vouch for the need for more apartments.
“There is a demand for downtown residential units without a doubt.” Ryan McCrady, president of Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance said before the second vote.
The next time City Council will discuss the future of the Wyndham is its September 20th Zoning meeting.