New Urbana hotel hopes to bring more people, boost the economy

Leaders and investors broke ground Tuesday on a new hotel that will be the biggest in the city.

The community is hoping the new Cobblestone Hotel will bring people to the city and keep them coming back.

Marcia Bailey with Champaign County said a study was done to figure out if the city could support another hotel.

“They’re at least 30 years old, plus,” she said about how long it’s been since a new hotel was built in the city.

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Bailey said Urbana University alone brings in 2,500 visitors just from athletics who must stay elsewhere right now.

“We will hopefully capture the missed opportunities with visitors being here,” she said.

Some of the closest places to stay is the Logan Lodge, just outside Urbana on 68, the Scioto Inn and the Urbana Inn and Suites on 36.

The Scioto Inn only has five rooms, Urbana Inn and Suites only has about 40 rooms, but the new hotel will have 54 rooms.

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Investors and leaders are hopeful that it’ll bring more people into the city and boost the economy.

“I think it’ll be a big boom for all the service industries, especially food,” said project investor Terry Howell. “I’m certain that this hotel, when it’s finished, will do that.”

All of the site work for the hotel is expected to start later this summer and finish around spring 2020.