Photo caption: Construction will begin this summer on a SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel near the County Materials Complex site on Menomonie Street.
Eau Claire-based Pablo Group will begin building a 128-suite hotel adjacent to the County Materials Complex site this summer, with the building scheduled to open in 2024.
The developer announced the SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel project at an April 6 press conference at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
The hotel will be located between the County Materials Complex and the Chippewa River State Trail along Menomonie Street. The proximity to the County Materials Complex will attract concertgoers, sports teams and additional travelers, according to the developers.
Pablo Properties partner Julia Johnson outlines plans for a 128-suite hotel that will be built between the County Materials Complex and the Chippewa River State Trail. (Photo by Bill Hoepner)
The County Materials Complex will include the Sonnentag Event Center, the John and Carolyn Sonnentag Field House and the Mayo Clinic Health System Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center. Groundbreaking for the complex will be April 25.
The County Materials Complex “will bring so much life and activity to a beautiful stretch of riverfront,” says Pablo Group partner Julia Johnson. “It will be the center of a recreation district surrounded by Hobbs Ice Arena, John and Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center and Carson Park.”
Johnson praised UW-Eau Claire’s leadership in development of the area.
“By expanding and integrating the university’s footprint into downtown Eau Claire, you’ve created a ripple effect of downtown development,” Johnson says.
Kimera Way, president of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, said the Pablo Group’s vision and support is a perfect complement to the County Materials Complex.
“Thanks to the amazing support of our alumni, the entire community will benefit from the construction of the Sonnentag Event Center and the John and Carolyn Sonnentag Field House,” Way says. “And thanks to our alumni and the leaders of the Pablo Group, a wonderful hotel will be added to a site that will become a busy, thriving, vital part of Eau Claire.”
Pablo Group has experience developing downtown Eau Claire hotels by renovating and reopening The Lismore and The Oxbow hotels.
“We believe that staying downtown is the best experience for Eau Claire visitors, providing pedestrian access to shops, food, rivers, art and attractions,” Johnson says.
Pablo Group also plans to build and operate a restaurant with a patio on the banks of the Chippewa River in the vicinity of the County Materials Complex.
“The introduction of a hotel and riverfront restaurant to this area of downtown will give visitors and residents unique access to some of the city’s most scenic views and will improve walkability to nearby nature trails and bike routes,” says Jennifer Fesenmaier, Pablo Group’s director of research and development.
For a video of the press conference, see here.
