Holiday Inn Express Breaks Ground in Hazelwood

Two years in the making, ground is finally breaking on Holiday Inn Express in the City of Hazelwood.

City Council approved the original special land use permit in 2010 with extensions granted in January of 2011 and every six months thereafter.

The project was originally set to start in November 2010, on a one-acre site located in what area residents know as the old K-Mart parking lot at Taylor Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, but it faced a few hiccups along the way.

The developer is Spa Hotels and Hazelwood's City Manager Edwin Carlstrom said in spring of this year the company was waiting on some funding in the form of Small Business Administration loans to begin construction.

The project has faced development questions from several parties involved including Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District regarding sewage drainage impacts from the project.

Dan Govero of Govero Land Services spoke at the Oct. 5, 2011 city council meeting representing Spa Hotels and said the company was working with the agencies involved to get all proper approvals.

"Those issues have been resolved," he said at that time. "We are attempting to utilize a vacant out-lot area in the front of the shopping center to revitalize the center."

Govero said the entire site would be resurfaced, and added that due to Missouri Department of Transportation requirements existing entrances on Taylor Road would be used as a requirement of the street's center island.

The City of Hazelwood had its own concerns whether the hotel would block views of any present and future businesses in the strip mall located behind it like CargoBay Self Storage, the World International Food Market and a few other establishments including a church. Council also had concerns about parking.

The hotel will be approximately 60 feet off from the road, and Govero said parking would be added in the front and back of the hotel.

"There will be two or three more parking spaces than required," he said. "Parking will be adequate for the 69 unit, three-story hotel."

Work is projected to last up to 10 months on the hotel.

Originally Councilman Mike Conley, Mayor Mathew Robinson and Councilman Russell Todd voted against development of the hotel.