The Construction of a Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Sioux Falls is progressing nicely.

The new hotel is being developed by Hegg Companies and the Lloyd Companies on riverside  property formerly occupied by Schoeneman’s Building Materials.  The Lloyd Companies is building the hotel, which our company will manage.

Completion of the building in October 2013 will significantly enhance the beauty of the downtown landscape.  The new hotel will be next to the new CNA Building, which has been a great addition to the east bank of the Big Sioux River.

We recently announced that Pinnacle Hospitality Inc. will operate a restaurant and lounge in the hotel.  We’re glad to have Pinnacle aboard.  The company has lots of experience and a good reputation.  It owns Callaway’s, Tre Lounge and Foley’s Fish, Chop and Steakhouse.

The Lloyd Companies reports that work on the first floor of the new hotel will begin soon.  Concrete slabs are scheduled to arrive during the first week of January.

“The ground work is done, and two-thirds of the foundation is done,” Craig Lloyd, CEO of the Lloyd Companies, said recently.

Underground contamination from generations ago, a common problem in redeveloping downtown sites, complicates the construction process somewhat.  Dirt at the site has been cleaned, but underground water has to be filtered on an ongoing basis.  The Lloyd Companies is used to dealing with those kind of construction challenges, however, so it’s not a big issue.

The more the project moves along, the more excited we’re getting.