Future Cascade Hotel Work Session

            Far more interesting than the meeting, was the work session that followed the Cascade Council regular meeting last evening.

            A collegiate-looking guy in his 40s wearing blue cords and a gray V-neck sweater named Mike from Wyndham Hotels and Michelle a voluble young woman in a tight black dress with a sun or a sunflower on it from IKWE, the finance arm of a small-town hotel building, both spoke.

            We listened. And learned that the city has already done a survey to probe the need for a hotel.  Seems one will cost in the vicinity of $4 mill, $70,000 to $100,000 “per key,” as their jargon calls, i.e. rentable rooms.

            IKWE’s role in this will be to “help the city decide what is the best fit…” and rustle up investors.  She hinted there might be a couple in Dubuque and would look for local ones. Get your checkbook out, Ladies & Gents, the next meeting will be the investors.

            Some of it was pure sales pitch: Mike said, they could offer “a gamut of options to cater to the community.” Michelle asserted, “A hotel keeps money in the community.” An overnight guest eats in local restaurants, buys gas, antiques, etc.

            The hotel, which will need an acre or two, will be located on the Miracle Mile/Urban Sprawl (depending how you see it)just as you come into town. The mayor said the city already had the infrastructure out there.

          

So far the city has spent taxpayer money installing infrastructure on the east/industrial side of town, neglecting older portions of the city, a couple of which desperately need new sewer lines. As we left the meeting Michelle asked me if I were the newspaper, “No.” Just the loyal opposition with a Critical Eye Q!