Lebanon officially welcomed the beginning stages of the new Fairfield Inn and Suites project into the city with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 9.
According to project and city leaders, the project for the new Fairfield Inn and Suites along State Road 32 and running adjacent to I-65 was paused in the first stages of development due to the pandemic, but after multiple years, the city officially broke ground alongside the developers in the Lebanon Gateway Marketplace development. Mayor Matt Gentry commented that the the city remains involved with the project alongside the Ghoman Group, which specializes in development experienced focused on hospitality, residential and restaurant development.
“(The) groundbreaking is a perfect example of perseverance,” Gentry said. “After being stalled for a bit thanks to the pandemic, it was great to see this project kick into high gear to move where we are today. The City of Lebanon is thrilled to add, not only another wonderful hotel and restaurant to our community, but also a fantastic community partner in the Ghoman Group.”
The new hotel is expected to contain 95 rooms, and construction is scheduled to be completed in 2024. According to officials, the new hotel will be joined in the area by Bar Louie, a restaurant with locations in Carmel and Greenwood. The new restaurant will accompany the hotel in providing family-friendly entertainment for the community according to Matt Reynolds, Assistant City Planner for Lebanon.
Reynolds addressed concerns from the community regarding the need for more youth-centric and family-friendly projects in the future for the Lebanon community to explore. Reynolds highlighted the Stone Eater Bike Park project, the Lebanon Fieldhouse project and the continued efforts of Lebanon Parks and Recreation as well as the Lebanon Little League as family-friendly establishments and opportunities coming to Lebanon and continuing in Lebanon.
“The Lebanon Fieldhouse will be a great addition to our community, as will Stone Eater Bike Park, the continued development of the Big 4 Trail; Lebanon Little League is entering its 75th year and continues to grow and expand its amenities; Lebanon Parks and Recreation has added the splash pad, new play areas, and I believe intends to expand the water park in the near future,” Reynolds wrote. “Lots of stuff going on, but it takes lots of people and lots of money to make these things happen. That’s one of the reasons I’m excited to see companies such as Eli Lilly joining our community, as I know they invest heavily in communities, youth and non-profits.”
According to the developers, projects such as Stone Eater Bike Park, Lebanon Fieldhouse and the Fairfield Inn and Suites and Bar Louie developments are expected to be completed or near completion by the end of 2024.