The weather at noon Wednesday wasn’t construction weather but a ceremonial ground breaking was held for Cobblestone Hotel and Suites in Jefferson. The 73-room hotel will be adjacent to Wild Rose Jefferson, with both facilities hoping to be open by Aug. 1.
The wind chill was in single digits and snow was blowing, so after photos were taken the group moved to the Edge Construction trailer on the south side of the Wild Rose site. Norm Fandel, past president of Greene County Development Corporation and president of Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation welcomed all those present, noting that “it’s a great day to have a ground breaking.”
“We’re thrilled to see something happening,” said Wild Rose president and chief operating officer Tom Timmons. Jefferson mayor Craig Berry also made brief comments.
According to Jeremy Griesbach, president of development for BriMark Builders, Brimark and Jefferson Hotel Group LLC are owners of the hotel. Of the $5.3 million total cost, about 90 percent comes from Jefferson Hotel Group, which is composed of nine or 10 couples, all of them Iowans, and most of them Greene County residents. Brimark Builders will serve as general contractor, and Griesbach said local subcontractors would be used as much as possible.
The Jefferson hotel will be the largest in the Cobblestone brand at 37,000 square-feet. Amenities include an indoor pool, a work out room, a guest laundry, free hot breakfast and wifi for guests. Average daily rates will be less than $100.
The hotel will employ 10 full time equivalents, though Griesbach said the mix of fulltime and part-time positions will be determined in the hiring process.
Griesbach said he is not worried the hotel will not be completed in time for the project Aug. 1 opening; the company built its Knoxville (IA) hotel in 3-1/2 months. BriMark currently has 12 hotels in various stages of construction.
Also in Jefferson for the ground breaking were Cobblestone president Brian Wogernese and owner Mark Pomerenke, and Wild Rose corporate internal auditor Rick Gilson.
Brimark first announced its intention to build a hotel in Jefferson two years ago. The proposed site was south of Syngenta Seed on Highway 4, but still easily visible from Highway 30. The hotel was to be 30 or so rooms. While Brimark was in the early stages of finding local investors, efforts began toward securing a gaming license to allow a casino in the county. At that time, Brimark agreed to put a project on the south site on hold, pending the outcome of the casino effort. A larger 71-room Cobblestone Hotel adjacent to the casino was part of the “pitch” in securing public support for the casino. Had the Racing and Gaming Commission denied the gaming license, Brimark planned to build the smaller hotel it first proposed.
