After years of 'twists and turns,' downtown Moxy Hotel to open by mid-February
It's been more than six years since Springfield-based O'Reilly Hospitality Management announced its conversion of a historic downtown building into a new hotel. After months of construction delays, the Moxy Hotel is gearing up to open by mid-February.
The Moxy, located at 430 South Ave., is a partnership between O'Reilly Hospitality Management and lodging company Marriott International. The eight-story, nearly 52,000-square-foot hotel will feature 98 rooms and three food and beverage offerings, including a rooftop bar.
The Moxy collaboration was first announced in 2017, with an initial open date set for August 2022.
O'Reilly Hospitably Management CEO Tim O'Reilly said in hindsight, the original goal may have been "a little aggressive."
In addition to the expected "twists and turns" that are part of the "normal construction process," O'Reilly told the News-Leader that there were a "multitude of issues" that caused the development's delay. Like many construction projects started right before or during 2020, the pandemic hindered development on the hotel for several years.
O'Reilly said there were also a "ton of surprises" in the renovations, which he said can be expected when developing a historic building. Most notable were the building's "structural components" and elevator structure.
The building, built between 1928 and 1930, was originally dubbed the Medical Arts Building because it housed doctors, dentists and other medical-related offices, according to the Springfield-Greene County Library District. The building changed hands many times over the years, most recently housing Great Southern Bank from 1990 until O'Reilly Hospitality Management purchased the building.
O'Reilly did not disclose the hotel development's cost to the News-Leader but said it was a "substantial investment."
Three bars, full-service kitchen
Putting a unique twist on the check-in experience, Moxy Hotels are popularly known for their check-in bars. Each guest receives one free cocktail or mocktail when checking in, according to the Moxy Hotel website. The first-floor bar will be paired with a full-service kitchen — both serving an outdoor patio.
The Moxy will also feature The Eyrie, a nearly 2,000-square-foot rooftop bar and restaurant that will serve up-scale cocktails and small plates, O'Reilly said. "Eyrie" or "aerie" describes a large nest of a bird of prey. To channel this theme, O'Reilly said the rooftop space will host regular Birds of Prey events, which will include falconry demonstrations.
The Subterranean, a speakeasy-themed bar, will be housed in the hotel's basement. O'Reilly said the bar's name is based on the 1958 romance novel by Jack Kerouac, "The Subterraneans." The Subterranean will feature pop-up jazz concerts and meeting spaces available for booking.
O'Reilly said he hopes the Moxy, with its restaurants, bars and meeting spaces, will serve as a "destination for locals," rather than just a hotel for out-of-town visitors.
A 'smaller room template'
Keeping in line with Moxy standards, O'Reilly said the hotel's rooms follow a "smaller room template." On average, Moxy Hotels' rooms are 158-square-feet, according to the Moxy Hotels website.
"The theme is, basically, people are going to spend all of their time in the city doing things or in the different gathering areas and less time in their rooms," O'Reilly explained.
Due to the downtown building's historic structure, the rooms at the Springfield location are slightly larger. Rooms range between 200-square-feet for a smaller Queen suite to 300-plus-square-feet for a larger King suite, O'Reilly told the News-Leader.
As for room pricing, O'Reilly said this will vary depending on numerous factors, including demand and time of the year. O'Reilly said the Moxy's price point will likely align with up-scale lodging like Hotel Vandivort.
A part of Marriott's "Select" franchise, Moxy Hotel debuted its first location in Milan, Italy in 2014. As of Monday, Marriott operates 143 Moxy Hotels in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and the Pacific.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Coming soon: Downtown Moxy Hotel to open by mid-February
