Angela Brandt
Havre Daily News
abrandt@havredailynews.com
Construction begins this week on a new hotel complex that is designed to include a restaurant and a minimall.
Havre contractor Brad Lotton said his company will begin hauling gravel to the six-acre site adjacent to the Montana Department of Transportation facility on U.S. Highway 2 West.
Eventually the site, owned by Bill Dritshulas, his wife Judi and their son, John, will include the 150-room Boothill Executive Suites Hotel, an 18,000-square-foot, six-store mall, along with a restaurant.
The first phase of construction will include a 70-suite portion of the hotel along with the lobby, a swimming pool, workout room, lounge, and banquet hall, said Janna Faber, chief operations officer for Duck Inn Inc.
The mall and restaurant will be built at a later date, she said.
The suites will be larger than a regular hotel room and will include separate sitting areas, high-speed Internet, refrigerators and microwaves, Faber said.
The hotel, mall and restaurant will be housed in separate buildings, Lotton said.
Negotiations are being made with potential restaurants and stores, Lotton said. Koefod Real Estate agent, Dick Bohn, who is managing the leasing of the spaces deferred all questions to Bill Dritshulas, who could not be reached for comment.
Dritshulas and his wife and son also own the Best Western Great Northern Inn Hotel and the Duck Inn.
Dave Hurlburt of Ackley-Hurlburt & Associates of Billings designed the buildings. Hurlburt has worked with Dritshulas for 20 years and designed the Great Northern Inn, the Emporium Food and Fuel station, Havre RV Park and the Duck Inn, Lotton said.
Lotton said the start date for construction of the mall and restaurant has not been determined and neither has a completion date for the hotel.
On May 10, the Hill County Zoning Board of Adjustments will hold a public meeting to consider a right-of-way variance to allow the minimall and restaurant to be located closer to U.S. Highway 2.
