O’Fallon targets another hotel for the city’s growing list of places to stay
A Home2 Suites by Hilton may become O’Fallon’s 16th hotel, but the location has changed from a Central Park mixed use project to its own 2.18-acre site on Regency Park Drive.
At its Oct. 16 meeting, the O’Fallon City Council unanimously approved advancing the proposal for final action at the Nov. 6 meeting.
Commercial Property Investors is seeking a planned use approval for a new 108-room, 4-story hotel to be built at 357 Regency Park.
The development is to include the hotel building, parking lot, lounge and fire pit area, and a pool and patio area. There will be a fitness center and meeting rooms inside.
The Home2 Suites by Hilton model is an all-suite extended-stay hotel featuring contemporary accommodations, including a kitchenette, and a customizable guest room design. It is pet-friendly.
The building is to be constructed between Dewey’s, Bella Milano, Global Brew, First Watch and Marriott TownePlace Suites to the southeast and Metro East Dermatology and the O’Fallon Cancer Center to the northwest. The site is currently used for agricultural purposes.
The property surrounding the proposed development is a mixture of commercial uses, including offices, retail and services.
Community Development Director Justin Randall said the hotel was no longer part of the 1245 Central Park Drive development currently under construction, but it is the same developer, and they moved it to provide additional space for visitors and amenities.
The Central Park Mixed Use District is on 29 acres and combines 384 multi-family residential units with two commercial buildings. The district’s large size is accommodating for business and restaurant opportunities. It was approved in 2022.
O’Fallon Hotels
A SpringHill Suites by Marriott International adding 107 rooms was approved in August, and the 5-story hotel will be constructed at the northeast corner of North Green Mount Road and West U.S. Highway 50.
The Home2 Suites will make about 1,500 rooms available in town as the lodging industry has become a major economic engine for the city.
Destination O’Fallon, an economic development incentive initiated in 2016, has been a game-changer for the city. That fall, the city raised its hotel/motel tax from 5% to 9%, and it’s paid only by those who booked the lodging.
During the past seven years, hotel room usage and revenue has tripled – from $800,000 in hotel tax revenue that year to an estimated $2.85 million in hotel tax revenue projected in this current fiscal year, according to Grant Litteken, assistant city administrator.
Hotels currently listed in the city are: Baymont Inn & Suites, Candlewood Suites, Best Western, Drury Inn & Suites, Extended Stay America, Fairfield Inn, Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, HomeTowne Studios & Suites, LaQuinta Inn & Suites, Quality Inn, Super 8 by Wydham, Sleep Inn and TownePlace Suites by Marriott.
Hotel customers are often families of patients seeking medical care at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon and Memorial Hospital in Shiloh, military personnel attending meetings and events at Scott Air Force Base and people visiting attractions in St. Louis.
Community development updates
Randall said the Tio’s Taco + Tequila Bar is “close to opening.” Located in the strip center on Scott-Troy Road next to Aberdeen Village, the New Jersey-based restaurant is known for its curated tequila list, traditional Mexican fare, and such specialties as a signature shrimp cocktail and empanadas.
Construction on the Dunkin’ Donuts in The Shoppes at Richland Creek has begun, he said. It is the final commercial development that borders Green Mount Road, Frank Scott Parkway and Central Park Drive. This Dunkin’ will be a two-lane drive-thru and will not have indoor dining.
To keep up with what’s building in O’Fallon, visit this map: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3f141fcb564c4a629b30cf56febfb15a
