Ellen Thompson
Havre Daily News
ethompson@havredailynews.com
A 54-unit motel is planned for U.S. Highway 2, and dirt is already being moved on a site between the highway and Second Street West near Kmart.
The proposed motel is the third large-scale business project planned for the west side of town.
The Hill County Commission this morning was reviewing a building permit for the motel. Plans submitted to the county planning office include a two-story, L-shaped motel with a pool and lobby, and parking on a wedge-shaped 57,000-square-foot property. The property fronts on both Highway 2 and Second Street West and includes parking for 67 cars and 16 large vehicles.
CP Properties LLC applied for the building permit. According to the Montana Secretary of State's Office, Thomas R. Patrick and David Clausen are the registered members of the company.
Patrick said today the motel will be an AmericInn. AmericInn International LLC has about 200 franchises nationwide.
The plans call for 54 guest rooms and a meeting room, as well as room for expansion at one end of the motel for an additional 20 rooms.
The motel plans are among several projects proposed west of town. In July, the Hill County Commission approved a subdivision sought by Ron Harmon that would allow the sale of land to Wal-Mart, which plans a supercenter on the site. Harmon said today he has heard from Frontera Development Inc., an Arizona-based company that handles real estate deals for Wal-Mart, that the sale should be finalized by late November or early December.
Another local businessman is also planning a hotel west of town. Bill Dritshulas, owner of the Best Western Great Northern Inn and the Duck Inn, has purchased 6.34 acres near the Montana Department of Transportation on the north side of Highway 2 where he will build a hotel complex. A national restaurant chain may also have a place in the complex.
A mini-mall may be included in the project, with room for five to seven businesses or professional offices to lease space.
Also planned west of town is a special events center and visitor/cultural center at the Hill County Fairgrounds. Havre Area Chamber of Commerce subcommittees have been meeting for several months to work on fundraising and planning for both projects.
The events center has been discussed as a venue for large sporting and entertainment events, and the visitor/cultural center may provide a home for the Great Northern Fair Board, the Montana Actors' Theatre and the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.
