Dec. 14, 2011--PRATTVILLE -- Prattville is getting good economic news, with the announcement that a Holiday Inn Express is coming to town.

The 80-room hotel is being built on Legends Parkway, said Joe Turner of ALL- SOUTH, the development firm handling the deal. Construction should be completed by late summer or early fall, he added.

The location in east Prattville is in the middle of some of the hottest real estate in town. It is within walking distance to shops and restaurants at Prattville Town Center, a sprawling 400,000-square-foot shopping center; and is a long tee shot to Capitol Hill, a Robert Trent Jones golf course.

"We see great potential for further growth in Prattville," said Amit Patel, one of the owners of the hotel. "We feel confident in doing business in Prattville with Holiday Inn Express, a strong successful brand."

Any construction project is good news considering current economic conditions across the nation, Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. said. The new hotel will be a boost for the city's tourism industry, he added.

"An investment of this size is great news for Prattville," he said. "In speaking with people involved in real estate, I think we are starting to see some movement in the market. It looks like we are seeing some improvement in the economy."

And the hotel should be successful, Gillespie added.

"With Prattville's location in the center of the state, we are seeing our tourism industry improve," he said. "The course at Capitol Hill is a major draw for people from other parts of the country. That's good news for our hotels and restaurants and other businesses."

Holiday Inn Express operates 3,296 hotels worldwide, the company's website states.

___

(c)2011 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.)

Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services