Constellation hotel work to start

153-room facility expected to be ready in 2010

Developers of a hotel slated for the Constellation project near downtown said Tuesday that construction on the SpringHill Suites will begin soon.

Local developer Scott McLain said Jacksonville, Fla.-based Bove Construction will be at the Clinton Avenue-South Memorial Parkway site next month to start work on the 153-room hotel. It's expected to be ready for occupancy in mid-2010.

"They've got the financing," McLain said Tuesday.

"We've solved the geotechnical issues and hired a contractor."

The six-story SpringHill Suites will be designed to appeal to "active, style-conscious guests seeking an upper moderate tier brand," according to a joint news release from Bove and Huntsville-based Yedla Management, the hotel's developer.

Principals for Bove and Yedla could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

McLain said Constellation - which is expected to include restaurants, retail and offices in addition to hotels - is moving forward after some two years of redesigning roads and grappling with permit issues. Plans for an office complex, however, have been delayed by the slow economy.

"Everybody's wishy-washy. You have to get several tenants to commit," he said.

"Otherwise, it ends up being all speculative, and I don't want to do that."

McLain expects restaurants at the site to be new to Huntsville or Alabama.

"I'm working on it every day," he said.