As the historic Wittel Dorm is converted from a private women's dormitory into a boutique 41-bedroom hotel known as The Collegiate Hotel, the new owner of the building, MHW LLC, has requested a $250,000 economic development loan from the city.
MHW LLC requested the loan on the basis that the redevelopment of the building, located on South Gay Street, "would result in a substantial economic benefit to the city by promoting and expanding commercial development within and around the area of the city at which the facility is located."
The Commercial Development Incentive Program, passed by the city in 2011, allows businesses to apply for loans from the city, where it undergoes review.
Both the Commercial Development Authority and the Economic Development Department have recommended approval of the loan.
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According to city staff, the hotel renovation project will create jobs in Auburn, add to the tax base and help in the renovation of downtown. They have recommended the max $250,000, a fraction of the $6.8 million in estimated hotel renovation costs.
Ten full-time employees are expected to be retained at the hotel, amounting to a $10,000 loan amount per job, according to city documents.
The loan is interest-free and is to be repaid in full at a date 10 years from approval.
As part of the loan application, the developer has released new site plans and architectural draw-ups for the renovation, which were accepted by the Commercial Development Authority at a meeting on April 27.
In addition to the previously announced wraparound porch, plans of the hotel submitted to the city also show a new floor to the building to be built atop the existing brick structure with a synthetic stucco exterior.
The City Council will vote on the economic development agreement at their regular meeting Tuesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. but will not vote on the architectural plans. There will be a public hearing prior to the vote.
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Since its construction in the early 1940s, the dorm has changed hands a couple times but has remained a women’s dorm. Soon, the building that has served as a home for generations of collegiate women will be converted into the 41-bed boutique hotel.
In January, the Auburn Planning Commission approved the requests of the new owners of the dorm, who plan on converting it into a boutique hotel.
The new owners, according to previous plans, intended to keep the structure of the building mostly the same, adding only a wraparound porch on one end and a brick driveway for valet service. The plans released this week were the first show any major changes to the architectural plans.
Additional site plans for The Collegiate Hotel
Photos via the City of Auburn and City Council documents.
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