"We are excited:" Ground broken on new Hampton Inn & Suites in West Allis

WEST ALLIS (WITI) -- Stand Rock Hospitality, a hotel development, management and investment company in Wisconsin Dells together with First Pathway Partners, announced Tuesday, October 28th construction is officially underway on the new full-service Hampton Inn & Suites in West Allis.

Scheduled to open in August, 2015, the four-story hotel will feature 101 guestrooms with free high-speed wireless internet access, 8,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space accommodating up to 300, a swimming pool, fitness center, business center and a 24-hour Pavilion Pantry Market.

According to the economic impact study done by Midwest Regional economist Dr. Paul Sommers, when it opens next year, the hotel will create 30 full and part-time jobs.

“West Allis is an ideal market location for a first-class Hampton Inn & Suites. The location is convenient for both business and leisure travelers with easy access off of I-94 and a prime location near the Wisconsin State Fair and other area attractions. We are confident it will be extremely successful with state-of-the-art amenities and outstanding hospitality and customer service," Pete Helland, managing member of Stand Rock Hospitality said.

The City of West Allis sold the 4.5-acre lot at the corner of West Greenfield Avenue and South 82nd Street for $2 in return for an agreement from the developers to make significant investments to control storm water as part of the development.

In addition to funding through the sale of New Markets Tax Credits, the Hampton Inn & Suites project is made possible by a commitment of more than $9.5 million from FirstPathway Partner’s foreign investors through the EB-5 program.

“This is really a great project not only for our investors but for the city of West Allis and the greater Milwaukee area. This is yet another great example of a successful project created in part by investors involved in the EB-5 program," First Pathway Partners CEO Robert Kraft said.

“With more than one million visitors in our community each year for events at state fair park,  we are excited about the opportunity to provide additional options for guests to stay overnight in our city. This facility will also offer our business community another option for their visitors, or for hosting meetings and conferences," West Allis Mayor Dan Devine said.

Madison based Horizon Construction Group will serve as general contractor on the project.