The third and final phase of the Yahara Commons development could change from an office building to a hotel if developers can convince the Monona Plan Commission.
Plans to build the 92-room Avid Hotel on land directly east of Monona Bank will be discussed Monday when the commission meets at 7 p.m. at the Monona Public Library.
The hotel would be developed by local developer Galway Companies and Kinseth Hospitality. Avid is a new hotel concept of the International Hotel Group.
“When we received approval from plan commission on the Phase 1 parcel we contemplated building an office/retail building on the Phase 3 parcel which would share parking with our Phase 1 parcel,” developer Steve Doran wrote in a letter to the city last month. “We recognize the plan commission approved the Phase 1 project with cross parking on the Phase 3 lot.”
Doran is working with the bank on shared parking spaces and adding parking spaces on the frontage road in front of the bank.
Kristie Schilling, executive director of the Monona East Side Business Alliance, said now that plans for a Woodspring Suites hotel to be built in Monona are dead, the city could certainly use a third hotel.
“I believe we could support three hotels,” she said, referring to the AmericInn and Country Inn & Suites that are already in Monona. “I could see Yahara Commons becoming a popular site for weddings if the hotel has event facilities.”
