By By Adam Prestridge
It's official: Rivercane has its first tenant.
Monday morning, Atmore mayor Howard Shell signed the paperwork necessary to seal the deal with Vision Hospitality southeastern regional director John Tampa, who will build a Comfort Suites on the closed property.
Tampa said he plans to move quickly and have equipment on site within two weeks in preparation to begin work on the hotel in early December.
On hand for the much-anticipated signing was real estate brokers Mark Dauber with John Stanley &Associates, Tim Herrington with Saad &Vallas Realty Group, L.L.C. and city attorney Ed Hines.
There have been several delays in the project since Tampa first committed to the project in May 2006. He has remained committed to Rivercane from day one and is still excited about his company's future in Atmore.
Tampa was not on hand for the closing.
Shell said the check from Vision Hospitality would be wire transferred to Hines' office and the funds disbursed accordingly once the funds have been received.
The hotel will be a three-story, 80-unit Comfort Suites, which will include suite rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi suites. The mid-scale property will cost approximately $4.5 million to construct and is slated to begin construction in late November, according to Tampa. Tampa said construction of the Comfort Suites should be completed in seven to eight months, weather permitting.
Tampa will also be building an 80-room Hampton Inn &Suites by Hilton adjacent to the Comfort Suites property. Construction of it will cost a little more than $5 million.
It is unsure when Tampa will close on the property the Hampton Inn &Suites will occupy.
Both hotels will employ between 15-20 people.
According to Rivercane project manager Joe Webb, inquiries about property at Rivercane has started to increase over the past several weeks.