Groundbreaking ceremony for Rockwall’s new Springhill Suites by Marriott

(ROCKWALL, TX – Nov. 22, 2015) The City of Rockwall broke ground Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 18, on what promises to be another exciting addition to the community: Springhill Suites by Marriott, a four-story, 105-room hotel which will be built off of Lake Front Trail behind The Oar House in Rockwall.

The hotel – being built by local investor Tom Kirkland – will also include an indoor lounge and an outdoor courtyard, and encompass over 7,000 square feet of conference space, with a dedicated sales director in charge of marketing that space.

“The reason we’re excited to have another hotel down here is because we hope this to be a continually growing and advancing area,” said Rockwall Mayor Jim Pruitt. “One of the things that we wanted as a city council was a place that could have small to medium conventions, and Tom is committed to having a planner whose only job is to book those kinds of things. So we’re looking forward to having another place to host events.”

Kirkland said the main reasons behind the excitement for the Springhill Suites included the property on which it’s being built, the support of the city of Rockwall and the Marriott brand’s reputation for outstanding customer service and quality of its hotel properties.

“It’s been a real pleasure to work with the city council and the mayor, and those involved on the city side,” Kirkland said. “To see them embrace this project, that’s not always the case, but in this case it’s been a very big element.”

The development will bring a projected $5 million-plus in value to the area known as PD 32, which encompasses both public and private property from Lake Ray Hubbard all the way to Horizon Road.

The City of Rockwall and the Rockwall Economic Development Corporation pledged millions of dollars of infrastructure to build the area as a premier entertainment and social destination, one of the largest on the east side of the metroplex. That investment has begun to pay off for the local economy in a big way, with more and more local private developers wanting to reinvest in their hometown of Rockwall. An upcoming large residential tract of property going in across from the new Springhill Suites, plus the recent addition of Trend Tower, will help add to the tax base of PD 32, and an H&G Supply Company restaurant – also supported by local investors – is also planned for the area.

Springhill Suites is projected to open around November 2016.

Story and photo by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.

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