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Point may get new hotel

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Stevens Point may have a new convention center and water recreational park on the east side in two years.
William Bayba, a Stevens Point developer and real estate agent, announced the proposed development Friday, Aug. 29, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Marshfield Holiday Inn and Conference Center. He said he has been awarded franchise rights for a new Holiday Inn in Stevens Point after the franchise rights for the existing facility expire.

Bayba said he hopes to begin construction a year from now, in July 2004, so the facility will be ready for opening in January 2006.

The project has been in the works for quite some time, Bayba said, and there's still a lot of work to do. "We want to start at the end of next summer," he said. "It takes a long time to get to the point where we break ground." He noted that the Marshfield project was announced more than a year ago and construction is finally beginning.

The facility would be a 120-140 room, full-service motel, with a banquet/conference center of 20,000-plus square feet and the water recreational park of about 8,000 square feet. Precise plans are still in the development stage, Bayba said.

The project will be constructed on 12 acres at the corner of Amber Avenue and Windy Drive, to the north of Arby's, east of Hawthorne Suites and south of the Slumberland store now under construction. The development will only impact five or six of those acres, Bayba said, providing additional space for expansion if necessary.

The present Holiday Inn on Stevens Point's north side was constructed in the late 1960s and has been remodeled and enlarged several times since then. That facility had been a mecca for conventions in the state after it was constructed, but the number of conventions using the facility has dwindled in recent years.

The existing Holiday Inn boasts 295 rooms, plus 35,000 square feet for convention space and the Holidome, which houses a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and recreation area.

Bayba said the new facility will have fewer rooms, because "we don't think the market could handle another 300 rooms in the marketplace. We're trying to find a compromise that will work."

The convention space will also be listed as smaller, but Bayba said he feels the space will be comparable to the Holiday Inn.

The water park will be similar to The Waters of Minocqua in Minocqua, he said. "It's more than a pool and Jacuzzi." He said the facility will have a two-story water slide, a toddler pool area and water guns.

The water park will be smaller than the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells, which is about 80,000 to 90,000 square feet. "This won't be anything like the Dells. There's nothing in the industry like that."

The rooms will be full-service, not a budget facility, he said. "People expect all the amenities now, like Internet connections, restaurant and entertainment."

Bayba said he feels the facility will be an asset to the community, helping other facilities. "This will really beef-up Stevens Point as a convention area," he said.

He said he feels the water park will also help attract customers. "We feel the sports center out there will be a big draw."

The Central Wisconsin Youth Sports Complex was constructed on Badger Avenue, a few blocks away from the proposed convention center site, and opened late in 2002.

The Holiday Inn is the third motel-convention center complex announced in Portage County this year, but the first with a specific franchise named.

In February, the Portage County Board of Supervisors announced it would purchase 145 acres at the southeast corner of the Interstate 39-County Trunk HH interchange in the town of Plover for a commercial development called Market Place at Portage County.

County officials and developers said the commercial development was necessary to entice developers for a motel-convention center at the northeast corner of the interchange. The development would also have to be annexed into the village of Plover for water and sewer services.

This spring, a proposed Glaciers Edge development was announced between Highway 54 and County Trunk B in the town of Plover, around the Tree Acres Golf Course. The development would include a motel-convention center and indoor water park, about 70 condominiums and 90 housing units, plus an outdoor aqua park for boating events.

Tom Barrett, director of the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the area needs another full-service hotel. "I'm pleased," he said. "We have a lot of fine motels but they're all limited service. Of the 22, only two (the Holiday Inn and Best Western Royale Inn & Convention Center) have bars and restaurants and convention space.

"It's a great addition to our inventory," he said. "It's another option available for us from full service. At times we're trying to put groups together and either the Holiday Inn is full or unavailable.

"The fact that it will be built new and full service and the fact that it increases our inventory gives us some possibilities to affect some convention groups," Barrett said. "Our location here still makes us the most preferred location for convention space because we're equidistant from almost every spot in the state."

He said he felt a lot of lost convention business was due to the proliferation of more hotels for conventions, particularly in the Wisconsin Dells area. "There is a tendency for people to gravitate to those newer facilities," he said. "What we are lacking is full-service, state-of-the-art convention facilities."

With the new Holiday Inn facility and the other proposed facilities, Barrett said the area probably won't be able to attract all the convention business it used to have. "There's more places now," he said. "Can it help us re-establish ourselves? Most definitely. When you look at the weather in Wisconsin, people like to have everything under one roof. They want a restaurant, entertainment all in one place."

Barrett said the space would be equivalent to the current Holiday Inn's convention and Expo Center, but not the ballroom. "If it has dividing walls that can be closed or open, the feasible space can work toward meeting the existing space."

He said he's looking forward to the availability of the space. "If we do a good job of marketing, we can improve the convention business. We need more than two full-service motels."



	Point may get new hotel By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette Stevens Point may have a new convention center and water recreational park on the east side in two years. William Bayba, a Stevens Point developer and real estate agent, announced the proposed development Friday, Aug. 29, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Marshfield Holiday Inn and Conference Center. He said he has been awarded franchise rights for a new Holiday Inn in Stevens Point after the franchise rights for the existing facility expire. Bayba said he hopes to begin construction a year from now, in July 2004, so the facility will be ready for opening in January 2006. The project has been in the works for quite some time, Bayba said, and there's still a lot of work to do. "We want to start at the end of next summer," he said. "It takes a long time to get to the point where we break ground." He noted that the Marshfield project was announced more than a year ago and construction is finally beginning. The facility would be a 120-140 room, full-service motel, with a banquet/conference center of 20,000-plus square feet and the water recreational park of about 8,000 square feet. Precise plans are still in the development stage, Bayba said. The project will be constructed on 12 acres at the corner of Amber Avenue and Windy Drive, to the north of Arby's, east of Hawthorne Suites and south of the Slumberland store now under construction. The development will only impact five or six of those acres, Bayba said, providing additional space for expansion if necessary. The present Holiday Inn on Stevens Point's north side was constructed in the late 1960s and has been remodeled and enlarged several times since then. That facility had been a mecca for conventions in the state after it was constructed, but the number of conventions using the facility has dwindled in recent years. The existing Holiday Inn boasts 295 rooms, plus 35,000 square feet for convention space and the Holidome, which houses a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and recreation area. Bayba said the new facility will have fewer rooms, because "we don't think the market could handle another 300 rooms in the marketplace. We're trying to find a compromise that will work." The convention space will also be listed as smaller, but Bayba said he feels the space will be comparable to the Holiday Inn. The water park will be similar to The Waters of Minocqua in Minocqua, he said. "It's more than a pool and Jacuzzi." He said the facility will have a two-story water slide, a toddler pool area and water guns. The water park will be smaller than the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells, which is about 80,000 to 90,000 square feet. "This won't be anything like the Dells. There's nothing in the industry like that." The rooms will be full-service, not a budget facility, he said. "People expect all the amenities now, like Internet connections, restaurant and entertainment." Bayba said he feels the facility will be an asset to the community, helping other facilities. "This will really beef-up Stevens Point as a convention area," he said. He said he feels the water park will also help attract customers. "We feel the sports center out there will be a big draw." The Central Wisconsin Youth Sports Complex was constructed on Badger Avenue, a few blocks away from the proposed convention center site, and opened late in 2002. The Holiday Inn is the third motel-convention center complex announced in Portage County this year, but the first with a specific franchise named. In February, the Portage County Board of Supervisors announced it would purchase 145 acres at the southeast corner of the Interstate 39-County Trunk HH interchange in the town of Plover for a commercial development called Market Place at Portage County. County officials and developers said the commercial development was necessary to entice developers for a motel-convention center at the northeast corner of the interchange. The development would also have to be annexed into the village of Plover for water and sewer services. This spring, a proposed Glaciers Edge development was announced between Highway 54 and County Trunk B in the town of Plover, around the Tree Acres Golf Course. The development would include a motel-convention center and indoor water park, about 70 condominiums and 90 housing units, plus an outdoor aqua park for boating events. Tom Barrett, director of the Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the area needs another full-service hotel. "I'm pleased," he said. "We have a lot of fine motels but they're all limited service. Of the 22, only two (the Holiday Inn and Best Western Royale Inn & Convention Center) have bars and restaurants and convention space. "It's a great addition to our inventory," he said. "It's another option available for us from full service. At times we're trying to put groups together and either the Holiday Inn is full or unavailable. "The fact that it will be built new and full service and the fact that it increases our inventory gives us some possibilities to affect some convention groups," Barrett said. "Our location here still makes us the most preferred location for convention space because we're equidistant from almost every spot in the state." He said he felt a lot of lost convention business was due to the proliferation of more hotels for conventions, particularly in the Wisconsin Dells area. "There is a tendency for people to gravitate to those newer facilities," he said. "What we are lacking is full-service, state-of-the-art convention facilities." With the new Holiday Inn facility and the other proposed facilities, Barrett said the area probably won't be able to attract all the convention business it used to have. "There's more places now," he said. "Can it help us re-establish ourselves? Most definitely. When you look at the weather in Wisconsin, people like to have everything under one roof. They want a restaurant, entertainment all in one place." Barrett said the space would be equivalent to the current Holiday Inn's convention and Expo Center, but not the ballroom. "If it has dividing walls that can be closed or open, the feasible space can work toward meeting the existing space." He said he's looking forward to the availability of the space. "If we do a good job of marketing, we can improve the convention business. We need more than two full-service motels."