Sharonville Convention Center: Agreement Underway for Construction of Anchor Hotel Property

New development is critical for the center's continued success and is part of Northern Lights District's transformation

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. June 02, 2014

SHARONVILLE, OH - June 2, 2014 - The City of Sharonville announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rolling Hills Hospitality Group to begin work on a $14 million, 120 room, first class, select service anchor hotel at the Sharonville Convention Center. The hotel development will bring additional economic impact to the region by attracting more conventions and tradeshows. It also reinforces the city's commitment to the multi-million dollar redevelopment of Sharonville's Northern Lights Entertainment District.

“We are excited about joining forces with Rolling Hills to bring a top-notch hotel property to the newly renovated Sharonville Convention Center,” said City of Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman. “This is a crowning achievement to the ongoing transformation of our Northern Lights District.”

The Sharonville Convention Center underwent a $25 million expansion and renovation in 2013 to accommodate the region's need for a state-of-the-art meeting and events facility. Jim Downton, the center's executive director, said the building of an anchor hotel is critical for the center's continued success. “While our event business has grown significantly since the expansion, our convention and tradeshow customers have continually communicated their need for a first class hotel that is attached to our center.”

Bimal Patel, founder of Rolling Hills Hospitality, will oversee the development of the hotel. His group has developed several hotels in the area including Homewood Suites in Florence, KY and the Holiday Inn & Suites in downtown Cincinnati. They are currently in the process of completing the Hampton Inn & Suites in Kenwood.

The Memorandum of Understanding is the first part of the formal development agreement between the city and Rolling Hills Hospitality, who are currently working to secure a national hotel flag. Once ground is broken, it is expected to take 16 months to complete the construction.

"The Sharonville Convention Center is a key selling tool for our region," said Dan Lincoln, President & CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The Convention Center increases the types of groups that we are able to attract, and this new hotel property will enhance Sharonville's already compelling meeting features."

In an effort to revitalize Sharonville's Northern Lights District, the city has also secured more than $200 million in public and private investments for initiatives including the creation of pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and roadway improvements. These improvements coincide with the completion of Princeton School District's $140 million new state-of-the-art facilities. “We anticipate the Princeton School District project to be a catalyst for future development,” said Chris Xeil Lyons, economic development director for the City of Sharonville. “This state of the art campus will include a new 2500 seat sports arena, performance theater, natatorium and fields that will be home to many tournaments, performances and regional competitions.”

About the Sharonville Convention Center:

The Sharonville Convention Center is the region's only Silver LEED Certified, sustainable event facility. Conveniently located just 15 miles north of downtown Cincinnati, just off I-75 and I-275, The Center provides a beautiful and contemporary relaxed suburban location for meetings, conventions, banquets, trade shows and public events,with all the amenities of a big city. To learn more about the Sharonville Convention Center visit www.sharonvilleconventioncenter.com.

About the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau:

The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is an aggressive sales, marketing and service organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact Hamilton County's and the City of Cincinnati's economy through convention, trade show and visitor expenditures. The travel and tourism industry traditionally has been a $4.1 billion industry in Cincinnati USA, employing 94,000 people in a variety of fields and, historically, bringing 22.7 million visitors to the region in 2011. To learn more about Cincinnati USA, visit CincyUSA.com.