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Jose Anaya of Anaya Construction (left) examines details of the new hotel along with Jesus Anaya. Crews are now working on the inside of the building to prepare for the opening planned for December 15.
The long-awaited downtown hotel on E. Main Street is finally nearing completion.
According to owner Roberta Green-Garrett the 75-room hotel will be known as "Holiday Inn Express and Suites."
"It's been approved by the City and the [hotel] company," said Green-Garrett of the project that sits on the former site of the Parks and Butler buildings.
"We love Holiday Inn—they're the best," she said.
If everything goes as planned, the Public Square could see the opening of the new hotel on December 15, she added.
Green-Garrett said the hotel will feature an indoor pool, exercise room, breakfast area, and a conference room to accommodate parties of 100 people.
Construction on the project, which is situated between the Visitors Center and Gold City Antiques, is continuing as workers complete inside details.
Originally planned to open in the summer of 2020, completion of the hotel has been delayed because the COVID pandemic held up the supply of materials, Green-Garrett said.
A WELCOME ADDITION
Mayor Sam Norton is looking forward to the completion of the hotel.
"It's going to be a shot in the arm for the local economy, especially following the COVID pandemic," he said. "We have already had a few business conventions and wedding parties who have inquired."
Norton pointed out the benefit of the self-contained parking (which will be on the first and second level of the structure).
He expressed relief that the controversy that was involved with the design of the structure in the planning stages has died down as people seem to have come to accept the look of it.
"There hasn't been any construction on the square in 50 years so naturally something new isn't going to look exactly the same," Norton said.
Green-Garrett said the signage should be installed in the coming days.
Norton added that the property owners are not asking for any variances and are conforming to the sign ordinance as written with regard to height, lighting, etc.
The ordinance, among other aspects, prohibits internally lit signs, he pointed out.
In the next two weeks, Norton hopes that the sidewalk will be completed (contingent on favorable weather conditions), followed by another couple of weeks for curb and gutter work.
Following construction, the mayor hopes the hotel will help bring more folks to Dahlonega.
"I look forward to the interjection of the new visitors to downtown," he said.