A highly visible site along Interstate 494 will become a Holiday Inn Express & Suites under plans recently approved by city officials.
Holiday Inn Express to succeed 1950s-era Northwood Inn on I-494 in Bloomington
By Don Jacobson
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Hawkeye Hospitality of Burlington, Iowa, and JR Hospitality of Eagan will team to raze two existing buildings along E. 78th Street, combine their lots, and erect a 171-room limited-service hotel.
Slated for demolition are the Northwood Inn & Suites, built in 1953, and a long-vacant, one-story commercial building across 13th Avenue S. that once housed Tropical Fisheries Inc. The Bloomington City Council on May 22 approved a measure to combine the two lots and vacate the portion of 13th Avenue separating them.
City requirements called for 188 parking spaces, but the developers were granted a 10 percent reduction to 171 due to the availability of nearby public transit on 12th Avenue S. and American Boulevard.
The wood-constructed building will have five stories, making it easy to spot from the freeway. As a limited-service hotel, it will not have its own restaurant or dining facilities. The first floor will feature public and back-of-house spaces, recreation areas and a wing of guest rooms. Its palate of exterior materials include manufactured stone, stucco and trim made of insulated cladding.
Address: 1225 E. 78th St., Bloomington
Type: Hotel
Rooms: 171
Developers: Hawkeye Hospitality, JR Hospitality
Architect: Cities Edge Architects