Hampton Inn Interested In Former Cobblestone Site

A site on Sturgeon Bay’s east side where one hotel chain is no longer looking to build has attracted the interest of another.

Cobblestone Hotels was looking to build at the corner of Egg Harbor Road and 12th Avenue, and had until May 31 under a development agreement with the city to acquire the property in Tax Increment District (TID) #6 near the Door County Boardwalk, and receive $1.2 million in incentives.

Cobblestone Hotels informed city staff that the hotel chain was unable to finalize a purchase deal for the vacant site with the property’s owners, Steve Estes and Scott Virlee, and is subsequently negotiating with the city to build on the West Waterfront instead.

However, the possibility of Hampton Inn being interested in the Egg Harbor Road site was discussed during last week’s city Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee meeting.

Community development director Marty Olejniczak said the city received a proposal from Hampton Inn for a hotel there with around 80 units, which would be slightly larger than the one Cobblestone Hotels proposed with 62 units.

Olejniczak told the committee members last week it was too soon to determine whether what Hampton Inn proposed made financial sense for the city, but he said something could be ready to bring before the committee in a couple of weeks.