Oct. 04–ADRIAN — The Namou Hotel Group of Southfield wants to build a Hampton Inn and Suites at the Adrian Mall.
The idea was introduced Tuesday to the city of Adrian Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission.
Namou and its architecture firm, Bowers and Associates, received approval from the planning commission for its plan to build a four-story, 101-room hotel off of South Main Street, and got the recommendation from the ZBA to have the Adrian City Commission look at granting the plan to build at four stories or 57 feet high. The planning commission also recommended to the city commission a zoning change to allow the building of a hotel at that spot.
Mall ownership said the hotel proposal replaces the previous proposal to have two affordable housing developments put in at the mall at the north end of the parking lot near Aubree's. Michael Schackman, a spokesman for the Tabani Group Inc, which owns the mall, said the affordable housing idea is off the table at this point, but it may be revisited in another capacity in the future.
Schackman said the mall owners are excited about the prospect of a large, national brand hotel being established at the site. He said it expects to be high quality and a great fit for Adrian.
Scott Bowers, the architect for the hotel, said the hotel would be around a $10 million investment and Namou will own the land it's built on. With the six-story Maple Village building nearby, he said they didn't think a four-story hotel would look out of place. Inside the hotel, he said there would be a pool and on the outside ample parking — some of it shared with the mall — landscaping and a patio area.
If the plan receives further approval for the height and zoning change from the city commission and obtains the proper permits in time, Namou spokesman Chris Abbo said construction could begin in the spring.
During public comment, Adrian Mayor Jim Berryman said he is personally excited at the prospect of a hotel coming to the mall. As he's cited before on the hotel proposal for the city's industrial park, he said not only does Adrian need more hotel room availability, but so does Lenawee County. Chris Miller, Adrian's Downtown Development Authority/economic development coordinator, also spoke out in support of the idea and called it a great project while commending mall ownership for thinking creatively to bring in such a new development.
Planning commission chairman Mike Jacobitz said the site plan was well prepared and didn't have anything needing attention. Bowers said they prepared and worked hard, meeting with such city officials as the fire marshall, to get the plan in the right place. In going down the list to recommend height change at the location, ZBA chairman Mike Berthold said the board didn't see any negative impact a four-story hotel would have on property values and surrounding properties.
The city commission is expected to review the project at its Oct. 16 meeting.
