Birmingham Luxury Hotel Announced to Aid to Dome Plan
Backers of a domed stadium and convention complex announced a privately financed...

Home

Backers of a domed stadium and convention complex announced a privately financed luxury hotel Wednesday while trying to persuade elected officials the publicly funded project will spur similar development.

Chattanooga developer Franklin Haney will spend $350 million on projects that include building a 301-bed hotel that will include a 15,000-square-foot spa, a ballroom and a rooftop terrace and lounge, a spokesman said.

BJCC Director Frank Poe said Wednesday that Haney's hotel and redevelopment project shows the ripple effect if the state, Birmingham and Jefferson County pay for a proposed $498 million convention-center expansion and domed stadium.

But the announcement at a meeting with Birmingham and Jefferson County officials did little to break a political logjam in the BJCC board's effort to find the final money it needs before it can sell bonds for the project.

The board wants Birmingham to double its commitment to $10 million a year and the state to kick in a one-time $75 million payment or $5 million a year for 30 years.

The Jefferson County Commission recently voted to withdraw its $10 million-a-year commitment if all the funding is not lined up by Jan. 1.

Powered By Traffic Booster Absolute News Manager Plug-in by Xigla Software

This article has been moved here