April 28–Bernie Truax, the developer who built the Truax Building in Old Town Temecula, wants to build a five-story hotel with a rooftop pool, a project that would give the historic district an amenity long-enjoyed by visitors to San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter and other tourism hotspots.

"It would put a nicer hotel on the west side of the freeway, it would attract a higher-end clientele," said Corinna Coram, former president of the Old Town Temecula Association.

The hotels in Old Town right now are a mix of historic structures such as the Palomar Hotel or Temecula Hotel and budget options.

The Truax hotel, which is in the design review stage of the planning process, is slated for the southern side of Third Street from Mercedes Street to Old Town Front Street, according to renderings released by Truax Development.

Across the street, east of the Swing Inn, Truax wants to put in a valet parking lot with a capacity for 201 vehicles, said Jeff Gutowski, Truax Development marketing manager.

A groundbreaking may be held in October of this year if everything comes together as planned, Gutowski added.

Truax, who may end up bankrolling the project with help from private investors, is touting the project as a "four-star" hotel equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Plans include banquet facilities, conference rooms, health club, spa and five dining options.

There will be around 150 rooms, a mix of standard, deluxe, premium, luxury and penthouses.

In addition to the hotel and parking lot projects, Truax is working with the city on a plan for the vacant parcels that bracket Town Square park in front of the Civic Center.

Annette Brown, marketing manager for Visit Temecula Valley, the region's convention and visitors bureau, said the Temecula/Wine Country market averaged 74.6 hotel occupancy in 2015, which was up 3.3 percent from 2014.

On weekends, the number spikes and it's sometimes very hard to get a room because of the area's popularity as a site for weddings.

"There's such a demand in his area," she said.

Coram said she's confident Truax will follow through with the project and get it built, citing his success with the Truax Building and his relationship with the landowners in the region.

"Bernie is invested in Old Town. He's not going anywhere," she said. "He's from here; he's raised family here."

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