(Seguin) — The city of Seguin over the next few years is expected to see its downtown completely transformed. The Seguin City Council on Monday got an update on the Nolte Hotel project, which is expected to deliver a massive multi-use project that will cover the entire city block surrounded by Nolte, River, Washington and Austin streets.
Peter French, of SEMI Development (formerly GroundFloor), says they have cleared another hurdle in the development of the project. He says this remains on track to become a major destination in downtown Seguin.
“Our take away from our June meeting was a quote that I really, really like now and that is ‘Seguin deserves nice things.’ I think that is why we are here because you all recognize that in this time of growth and opportunity in Seguin, there’s an opportunity to elevate the kind of development that you’re attracting, the kind of projects that you all are participating in. And so, as a partner in SEMI, formerly GroundFloor, we are here to help you execute on that vision. And that’s why we think this project, the Nolte Hotel, really matters right now because there’s an opportunity to change the face of downtown,” said French.
The Nolte Hotel is being described as a transformational project. It will be unlike other hotel properties in the community.
“We’re going to go from limited service hotels on the highway to the opportunity to have a full service (hotel) with restaurant, with entertainment event venue space in a great looking walkable project that is anchored by the Nolte block, (featuring) the Wells Fargo building that you all were smart enough to pick up and program. As you recall, you created a general land use plan. We are adhering to that plan and going to deliver to you a hotel with a restaurant and an event space that capitalizes on the big idea you had for the new downtown,” said French.
French says the schematic work is done, and now they are actually digging into the materials that will be used as part of this project.
He says the idea is to create a space that looks like it belongs in the heart of downtown.
“We are really beginning to dig into the materiality of what this hotel will look like. So that’s everything from the bricks — like literally laying your hands on them (and) picking them — to the streetscape. The idea that we would have the same embossed pavers and give people in Seguin the opportunity to stamp their name on a brick that’s laid into the streetscape around the new hotel. It ties in directly with the park across the street. Cedar elms are a great kind of a street tree. You know, one of the speakers earlier talked about the opportunity to create a more walkable, bikeable downtown Seguin. We want the streetscape here to have that feeling where you’re moving seamlessly from the park, from the square to the hotel and to the events that are happening there. So, we’re really excited about this palette. We think it’s going to feel like a project that’s always been there with the benefit of all the modern amenities that make a great place great,” said French.
French says this project will attract visitors to the community, but he says the design is also meant to bring local residents into the space as well. He says there will be meeting space, restaurants, bars and retail all included in what they hope will be a welcoming place for everyone in the community.
“Mayor (Dodgen), we credit you with this idea and that’s the new living room. So, (it’s) Seguin’s new living room. We want this both to be a place that attracts people from out of town — fresh dollars coming into the community,” said French. “(It gives) Seguin residents another place to have that meeting, to have that wedding. to grab a meal and just to sit and hang out in the lobby and have a coffee and enjoy the town that they’ve chosen. It’s another exciting thing about a fast growth community. We have a lot of people who are here because they wanted to be here. They surveyed the landscape. Those U-Haul stats are pretty compelling. They had a lot of different places they could go. And whether it’s because of the great job you all are doing on creating new jobs or just the great job you’re doing on creating a great quality of life in this place, We believe that ‘Seguin Meets,’ it’s kind of a little ha-ha there, but community meeting space on the square could be a great place for new and existing residents to meet and mingle in downtown.”
The design will preserve a portion of the look of the old Nolte Bank building. The building, which previously housed Wells Fargo Bank, was purchased by the city of Seguin a couple of years ago when the bank relocated to State Highway 123 Bypass near Walmart. The city isn’t the developer, but it purchased the building so that it could find the right partner to bring this project to life.
“We are a catalytic investment that we’re making with you. This is a public private partnership, (with) a tremendous amount of annual economic impact, direct jobs, indirect jobs. And we are on this path to deliver a project that we think will be transformative, that provides employment, that provides economic opportunity, (and) that provides a place for existing residents and new people to come and spend money,” said French.
The hotel will either be a boutique property for Hilton or Marriott as a brand. Construction documents, historic preservation coordination and incentive packages are expected to be completed next year. Construction would start late next year. It will take more than a year to complete the project, which will include parking for the property. The plan calls for the Nolte Hotel to open in the third quarter of 2029.