A new hotel opened in downtown Sheboygan last year, and another new hotel is planned for the city.
The GrandStay Residential Suites Hotel opened last July in downtown Sheboygan at 708 Niagara Ave. The four-story, 71-unit hotel was the first location in Wisconsin for the extended stay hotel chain, which also has locations in Ames, Iowa; Eau Claire, La Crosse and Madison.
As of late 2008, the hotel was reporting solid business at its new facilities, said Steve Sokolowski, manager of planning and development for the City of Sheboygan.
De Forest-based Main Street Builders Inc. plans to develop a four-story, 81-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel along Taylor Drive on the city’s southwest side. The project was approved last year, but construction has yet to begin.
More development is planned for Sheboygan’s downtown, which continues to show gradual renewal. Michigan-based Hovey Companies LLC plans to build a 42-unit apartment complex and 12 two-story townhouse developments. The new units for apartment-style living are part of a redevelopment to the area in Sheboygan known as Water Street, which formerly was the site of the Kingsbury Brewery and multiple factories along the Sheboygan River.
“This housing would almost be the completion of about a 10-year redevelopment project where we’ve been making a lot of changes to that area,” Sokolowski said. “It’s more residential than it was when the brewery was there, and it’s become a part of downtown living, which is something we’re really encouraging.”
There is some environmental clean-up being done on the area and land and building permits are expected to be approved soon, he said.
More redevelopment is underway at the intersection of North Avenue and Calumet Drive, where a former M&I Bank and used car dealership once stood. The facility is under construction and will open as a commercial strip for six to eight tenants. A new Walgreens opened January 30 in place of the dealership.
Sokolowski said he also expects plans to come within a few weeks for additional development proposals at the Sheboygan Business Center located adjacent to Interstate 43.
