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Show : Nw Tw Waum T Bmld Motel By GARY R. BLODGETT News Editor i ! BOUNTIFUL - For years Bountiful has been searching for a hotel-convention center complex to serve the communities of south i Davis County. NOW THERE are two developers wanting to i build this major tourist attraction -- both on the I same site. "It's hard to believe that Bountiful has gone ! this many years without a major lodging facility, and now two developers want to construct a j hotel or motel and convention complex in the same area of 500 South and the Interstate," commented Dean S. Stahle, chairman of the i Bountiful Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors. i BUT APPARENTLY this is the case. And both developers appear to be dead serious about the proposal. , Ironically, the most recent developer to make 1 a "bid" for the project owns property that is being considered for purchase by the Bountiful I Redevelopment Agency (RDA) for another ma- jor hotel-convention center complex. j HERE'S THE WAY the proposed hotel pic-: pic-: ture is shaping up: Triangle Oil Company for the past two years , has owned two acres of property just east of Carr Printing Company. About 18 months ago there was preliminary discussion during which property owners expressed a desire to build a hotel at a future time on the two-acre site. TRIANGLE OIL, represented by spokesperson spokesper-son Tom Mabey, told the council that his company com-pany is ready to begin construction on a 100-unit, 100-unit, three-story hotel. The hotel complex would include a family-style family-style restaurant, convention facilities for between be-tween 75 and 100 persons, and the hotel would feature an indoor swimming pool. It would cost an estimated $5 to $6 million. "IT WOULD be similar to a Hotel Hilton in design and would resemble another 100-unit hotel under construction on west North Temple in Salt Lake City," said Mr. Mabey. The RDA Board agreed they would like to see the Salt Lake City hotel complex which is due for occupancy in early December. MEANWHILE, site plans and a preliminary building p'an prerci by Triangle Oil will again be presented to Bountiful's Planning and Zoning Commission. This meeting which the developers de-velopers would be seeking final approval of their plans - was scheduled for last night (Tuesday). If approved by the Planning Commission, the plans will come before the Bountiful City Council Coun-cil tonight (Wednesday). MR. MABEY stressed to the council that the intention for the past two years -- since the property was purchased was to build a hotel on the site. 7leaseturnto PAGE 2 Now Two Want To Build Motel continued from page 1. He also emphasized that the property has been purchased and that the money for construction con-struction of the hotel-convention center will be private money and not funds from the Redevelopment Rede-velopment Agency. ATTORNEY George S. Diumenti, representing represent-ing Triangle Oil, admitted that he had advised the RDA Board that they (Triangle Oil) was no longer interested in constructing a hotel on the 500 South site. "But we have since reevaluated our thinking and realize the need for a hotel and have made plans to go ahead with construction as soon as possible," he told the RDA Board. THE ATTORNEY also questioned the RDA Board as to how they could morally or legally stop construction of the facility as long as it meets all city building requirements, parking space allotments, and falls within the city's (Bountiful) master plan. "The property is properly zoned and the facility facil-ity will be built with privately-financed money," he said. "I can't see how you (RDA Board and City Council) can deny us this right." THE PROPOSED hotel will be built on a two-acre two-acre site owned by Doug Allred. Developers say there is room for 125 parking spaces. Attorney Diumenti added: "I DON'T BELIEVE it is economically feasible feasi-ble to build a 500-room complex that is proposed by Flying J, and I don't feel that RDA funds should be spent for such a development when we intend to develop our 1 00-unit complex without with-out RDA assistance." Chairman Stahle emphasized a problem that exists because developers of the proposed hotel "waited until a late hour to come forward with plans for a hotel complex." HAD WE known earlier, a month or two ago, that you were still interested in building a hotel then we may have altered our plans for an RDA development on the same site," said Mr. Stahle. "But when we learned that they (Allreds and Triangle Oil) were no longer interested in developing de-veloping that site, we (RDA) proceeded with extensive plans for another motel-convention center complex and subsequently have invested a substantial amount of money in the project." HE EXPLAINED that RDA had traded property prop-erty owned by the Utah Department of Transportation Trans-portation at the 500 South site for property in west Centerville which had to be purchased with RDA funds. Also, the RDA chairman said, developers have spent a lot of money for engineering, site plans and other costs. lIT WOULDN'T be fair to disregard what has been done by Flying J," said Mr. Stahle. |