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Checking in: New Doubletree Hotel will add more hotel rooms, meeting space

Date Posted: August 8 2003

BAY CITY - A city sorely lacking in hotel and conference space will soon be getting it in spades, as Turner Construction and the building trades proceed with construction of a new six-story, $34.5 million Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center going up downtown

Located on the east side of the Saginaw River, Hardhats are erecting a 150-room full-service hotel, with a ballroom to accommodate up to 800 people in banquet seating and 1,600 for conference style seating.

The hotel will include two suites, a concierge lounge, business center, gift shop, oversized indoor pool, workout facilities, and full-service restaurant. It is easily the largest ongoing construction project in the Bay City-Midland-Saginaw area, expected to employ an average of 113 construction workers on the project. The hotel is expected to open in the spring of 2004.

"The new hotel and conference center meets a couple of needs for the area," said Shirley Roberts, executive director of the Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "There are currently only about 700 hotel rooms in the area, which is not nearly enough for business travelers, out-of-town visitors and people who come in for special events.

"Secondly, there has not been enough meeting space for larger groups who want to meet in our area. We haven't had a new hotel in Bay City in decades, so this will be a wonderful addition."

The two most recent hotels are the nearby 100-room Holiday Inn Bay City, built in 1968, and the 150-room Bay Valley Resort Hotel, which opened in 1973.

Luke Augspurger, assistant superintendent for Turner, said the prime riverfront site of the Doubletree Hotel was the location for numerous generations of businesses over the years, including a marina, car dealership and an old hotel. That led to some "very loose" soil conditions, and the requirement for slightly deeper footings.

"The tradespeople are doing a nice job for us; they're providing us with what we need," Augspurger said.

A one-level parking deck will be built adjacent to the new Doubletree Hotel, and it will be supplemented with approximately 320 surface parking spaces.

The hotel will be within walking distance of area parks and tourist attractions, such as Historic Downtown Bay City, Bay County Historical Museum, Delta Planetarium, and the Riverwalk. The city hopes having a first-class hotel in the thick of things will improve tourism in the region.

LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE of the Saginaw River is the Doubletree Hotel, which is expected to be ready for occupancy next spring.
ASSEMBLING A TORCH before soldering pipe in one of the Doubletree's hallways is Chet Kozlowski of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 85 and Northern Boiler.