Officials at the University Guest House, a hotel on upper campus, want to expand, and they’re submitting a plan to do it.
The Guest House completed a feasibility study in June, where it collected information on how easily the building could expand. The finished packet of information will be presented to the State Building Board in November. If it passes through the board, it will be presented to the Legislature in February.
The Guest House is fully supported by revenue from room and meeting space rentals and is sold out most of the time8212;two reasons why the expansion should happen, Hacker said.
The expansion is planned to extend from the back part of the building, which is currently a lawn. The construction wouldn’t interrupt nearby parking lots or Mario Capecchi Drive. The Guest House has 134 rooms and four conference rooms. The newer part would include a large meeting room and 100 more guest rooms.
In the feasibility study, an architect evaluated whether the expansion is possible and how it would be done. The plumbing, electricity and water were all assessed to ensure that the expansion could be structurally possible. Along with making sure the structural changes are feasible, the Guest House must also prove that more space is needed and that it can pay for the expansion.
The Guest House extension would be funded through a bond with the state. The state would issue a loan, which the Guest House would be required to pay back. Perry Hacker, Guest House director, said the Guest House makes enough money to ensure that the expansion would be a wise financial choice. Guest House officials did not have estimates on how much the expansion would cost.
The Guest House’s main clientele are people visiting the U hospital and military personnel. Students also have visitors that may stay at the Guest House, such as parents or friends. It is also used for conferences.
If the funding is approved through the Legislature, then the project planning will begin. It will take about 11 months to pick an architect, a building company and finish the design plans. Ground could be broken as early as 2011.
