Nov. 25, 2006 - CHEYENNE -- Two more hotels are on the drawing board for Cheyenne, bringing the total number of projects in development to seven.

A Louisiana-based hotel development company is interested in developing both properties on adjacent parcels, but the names of the hotels, one company executive said, have not yet been determined.

Dimension Development general counsel Greg Friedman said via e-mail that company officials "feel there is an opportunity for the market segment we focus on in Cheyenne."

"Franchise applications have been submitted, but we cannot release information on the franchisors until the applications are approved," Friedman wrote.

Site plans have been submitted for one property, and a request to add the second property to the city is now moving through the city of Cheyenne's annexation process.

The company has developed nearly three dozen properties to date. Its management portfolio includes brands from four major hotel companies -- Hilton, Holiday, Marriott and Starwood. Most of the properties are on the East and West coasts, with several in the Midwest.

Friedman said in his e-mail that the timetable for development in Cheyenne is dependant upon the franchise approval process.

The move, adding nearly 200 more rooms to the Cheyenne lodging pool, is a strong endorsement of the county's hospitality industry, Cheyenne Area Convention and Visitors Bureau President Darren Rudloff said.

"Investors in these hotel companies view us as a viable market. Even with the other announced properties out there, these people are still interested in us," Rudloff said.

Among those other announced projects are two Marriott extended-stay hotels, one at the former site of Wyoming Home and the other next to the Holiday Inn in south Cheyenne; a Sleep Inn at the east end of Cheyenne; and a Candlewood Suites on Fleischli Business Parkway in southeast Cheyenne.

Rudloff said the Missile Drive location is a strong one for lodging development in Cheyenne because it has visibility from Interstate 25, and it is an entrance to the city that's underused.

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