July 20, 2012--The Wyndham Garden Hotel & Suites and Apartments, an Ellicott Development project valued at $28 million, is rising along Main Street in Amherst.

Concept Construction Corp., the construction manager, has started erecting the steel framework for the six-story structure. When complete, the building will contain residential and retail space and a 120-room Wyndham hotel.

As the steel has gone up, the project has attracted more attention from passers-by, said Vincent P. Ricotta, director of business development for Concept. "It's always exciting to finally see the superstructure take shape."

Construction began in April and is expected to be completed by winter 2013. The project is being built on the former site of Stereo Advantage at 5195 Main St., at South Forest Road.

Ricotta said construction has been progressing smoothly. "The weather has been our friend," he said.

The focus at the moment is erecting more than 650 tons of steel beams and girder slabs. The next phase will involve the exterior masonry walls. The number of workers at the site on any given day varies from 23 to 30, Ricotta said.

The 220,000-square-foot building will contain 33 upscale apartments, as well as a first-floor restaurant of about 3,000 square feet.

In April, the Amherst Industrial Development Agency approved sales tax, mortgage recording and property tax savings for the project over 10 years.

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