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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11:22 PM CST
$20M hotel, convention center plans near fruition

By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com

MATTOON — Steaks might be served at a new hotel and convention center by the summer of 2011.

The first major step in the construction of one of the largest convention centers in downstate Illinois starts next month with groundbreaking at the southwest corner of the intersection of Illinois Route 16 and Lerna Road. Nine acres in a field are clear for the $20 million Hilton Garden Inn hotel with a full-service restaurant and a 55,000- square-foot convention center.

“We can hold 24 different meetings at once in the center. Or we can seat 2,000 at once and feed all of them. This will have the largest seating capacity this side of Springfield,” said Don Yost, one of the developers of the Mattoon Hotel & Convention Center LLC, during a press conference Wednesday morning at the Coles County Lifespan Center.

The development will boost the job market, Yost said, with 200 hospitality jobs and 100 construction jobs under the direction of Heritage Builders of Effingham over the next 15 to 18 months.

However, the convention center is the key ingredient of the project, which includes Effingham developer Chuck Keller and Dr. Ted Fifer of Effingham. The center will be a draw for gatherings that will help hotels and retail businesses in Coles County, according to its backers.

“It offers Coles County the chance to host more conventions,” said Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Titus.

She explained the local capacity for larger conventions now is restricted by existing facilities and available parking, especially at Eastern Illinois University.

“This will bring more people to our communities,” said Tim Gover, who was serving as Mattoon mayor pro tem Wednesday while Mayor Dave Cline was away from the city. “It helps the other hotels, too, because the people from the convention center will fill the hotels by the center.”

Gover said that is why the city has been supportive of the hotel/convention center plan for several years. The first tax increment financing (TIF) district for Mattoon was created six years ago in the midtown business district, but the second was for the Interstate 57 east area, just beyond the interchange on the east side of the city.

But city leaders worked to change state legislation on TIF criteria, faced a lawsuit by an opponent of the TIF and other challenges before reaching this milestone.

Gover, finance commissioner for the city, explained the city is supportive of the developers through economic incentives, not by bankrolling it.

“The city is cooperating with this development,” he explained.

Mattoon City Treasurer Preston Owen said the incentives for the developers will increase by the measure of business and development they complete. And the city is not committed to paying TIF incentives if the project does not take off.

But Yost and his partners said they are confident it will reap yields as impressive as the corn and soybean crops harvested at the site in years past. A Phase II plan calls for more hotels and retail businesses there.

The TIF area has more acreage for development for the next decade with TIF revenues from property tax increments — the tax receipts based on the added value of the property after development — to motel-hotel taxes helping with developing the infrastructure in that area.

“The more business they generate and the more development they create, the better their incentive,” said Owen.

Yost said Heather Craig, his daughter, will serve as general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn. She said someone else will manage the convention center.

Yost offered his appreciation to many people who helped make everything possible, including personnel with Agracel of Effingham and Coles Together. And he said the project is designed for the long term.

“This will help make this community a better place to live and work. It shows Mattoon is a community that welcomes community development,” Yost said.

Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.

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www.effinghamforum.com wrote on Nov 18, 2009 11:45 PM:

" With the economy in the dumps, its great to see development in the area which will create jobs. I wish them the best of luck. "

batman wrote on Nov 19, 2009 8:15 AM:

" This is taxpayer subsidy in it's lowest, help the rich form. To qualify for TIP funding the property in question has to be defined as "blighted"..........ask yourself, is this property blighted..?

You couldn't touch it for $4,000 an acre for farm ground.

Remember the law suit that stopped it before............ask yourself what has changed...?

If it's such a good project let the investors build it on their own. "

daygoboo wrote on Nov 19, 2009 9:13 AM:

" It's great to see anything happen around here to boost our economy, but what need do we have for this? "

mattoon.party.line wrote on Nov 19, 2009 9:14 AM:

" Now Owens is bringing in Effingham contractors, he must be hanging around his little buddy too much. "

sapient wrote on Nov 19, 2009 10:09 AM:

" Some people complain about everything. "

Lost Confidence wrote on Nov 19, 2009 10:57 AM:

" I like how Don Yost says "I shows Mattoon is a community that welcomes community development". Don made a lot of his money in Charleston. He's a smart man, and realizes that local government in Charleston wants no part of growth or development "

area resident wrote on Nov 19, 2009 11:57 AM:

" Apparentely they are not getting the clues that we need no more hotels but we need shopping that would bring in more revenue than a hotel that we seem to have plenty of here lately. We need shopping venues and some competition for Wal mart ours is the highest walmart around because they have no competition. "

das wrote on Nov 19, 2009 12:01 PM:

" You're exactly right, sapient. These people on here are never happy about anything, all they do is whine and complain. "

yeah right wrote on Nov 19, 2009 12:36 PM:

" and this seems to be their stage "

mhs82 wrote on Nov 19, 2009 3:59 PM:

" Amazing! People complain there is no growth, the city doesn't do enough to attract jobs, there is no reason to stay here, then when something good actually happens, they complain about it!

Wake up! The hotels being built and remodelled in Mattoon are a good thing! More Jobs! More Investment! More consumers here to spend money! A bigger tax base to fund city, county, and school operations. It's all good! "

medic57 wrote on Nov 19, 2009 4:22 PM:

" mhs82

How many times is The Holiday Inn/ Ramada Inn/ whatever it will be this time, going to be remodeled? All of the hotels we already have are only full about 14 days out of the year now, which ones will close because of the newer nicer one being built? And don't forget the nice new hotel they are remodeling on the South End of 45. "

Mama says wrote on Nov 19, 2009 8:07 PM:

" Those with the Effingham convention center bringing the rosebud to mattoon/charleston and builders of effingham get the money. We stuck with all renovations and higher taxes and more land on us. My naming some names were blocked off here, BUT THE TRUTH SOONER OR LATER WILL COMEOUT, when see name Keller (among other effinghamers)
run,,,,we don't need this center and they know effinghamers are dead fish
where convention center there has gone down the tubes. "

BigDaddy wrote on Nov 19, 2009 10:49 PM:

" Mama, It is just another part of the Good Ole Boy System! "

Lawyers favorite wrote on Nov 20, 2009 6:49 PM:

" whiners and moaners is all this blog is really for which is really pathetic. Be thankful for this project instead of complaining about it. There are substantially more restaurants and retail outlets in town than a few years ago and more will follow the convention center. Our hotels have a high occupancy rate and the more availability there is right off of the interstate presents more opportunities for growth. Thanks Don Yost for your commitment to the area and good luck with this venture. "

Townie Too wrote on Nov 21, 2009 6:41 AM:

" Since the city is supporting the new village of motels and restaurants, they should build some sidewalks in that direction. The East end of Broadway often has guests to our community walking the street's gutter to spend money at other businesses.
Charleston built two sidewalks to their Walmart store before it opened and Mattoon's East side commercial district has never been a pedestrian friendly area. "

dak_233 wrote on Nov 21, 2009 7:40 AM:

" Yeah..... it sure is terrible to see that God for saken eye sore on south 45 being remodled into something useful.

Mattoon......you're damned if you do and damned if you don't...

You get slammed for doing nothing at all.....you get slammed for trying new things. I say it's about time they do something. Some job creation wont hurt around here either. "

Danny Boy wrote on Nov 21, 2009 8:20 AM:

" I went to their web site. Hilton Garden Inn, and looks like it's going to be pretty nice. Here is a link to a slide show.(or the site)

http://www.abouthiltongardeninn.com/ "

Rockin Rotty wrote on Nov 21, 2009 8:14 PM:

" Jacuzzi Rooms For Way Less Than $100!! "