Plans for chain hotel in Bay Point move forward

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Nov 29, 2008 | by Paul Burgarino

Plans are advancing for a four-story hotel in Bay Point that community leaders hope will boost the local economy.

Govind Patel and Sharad Lal want to build a 34,766-square-foot La Quinta Inn & Suites franchise with 62 guest rooms on Evora Road near Willow Pass Road and Highway 4. Contra Costa County recently approved a permit for construction.

Patel, who owns the El Dorado Motel in Pittsburg, said the next step is to draw up a detailed plan and work with county planners so construction can start. Every single item, down to light switches, has to be addressed, he said.

Some minor zoning issues have to be hashed out as well, county planners said. The developers would then work with public works agencies in the county to improve the frontage road leading to the hotel, including widening Evora Road. After that, construction could begin.

"They want to start work as quickly as possible," said David Brockbank with the county's community development department.

The biggest hurdle is funding, Patel said, adding that the credit crisis is making it difficult to find a loan for the approximately $3 million to $4 million project.

Patel, who has been in the business for more than 20 years, decided to build the hotel in Bay Point because there aren't "any kind of good hotels" between Concord and Antioch. Development of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station and growth in Pittsburg and Bay Point will be good for business because people "will not have to drive 10 to 15 miles" for a place to stay.

When completed, the hotel will include a meeting room, breakfast area with kitchen, pool and spa, and exercise room among other amenities. Upper floors of the Bay Point La Quinta would also have views of Suisun Bay, which is "more pleasant than looking at traffic," Patel said.

Bay Point leaders are excited about the hotel.

"This is just one of the most wonderful things in a long time; I'm ecstatic," said Gloria Magleby, a Bay Point Chamber of Commerce member. Bay Point will have two anchors with La Quinta and a planned Walgreens drugstore at Willow Pass and Bailey roads, she said.

"Any chance to have family come into the area and stay is always a benefit," said Steve Hoagland of the Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council, adding that he has a "large family and not a large home" and La Quinta would be nice during the holidays.

Further, Magleby said La Quinta could be a catalyst for new business and a tax generator for the community. She added it could accommodate residents who visit Bay Point businesses like General Chemical, Henkel Corp., and Criterion Catalyst Co.

"It's in a perfect spot near the freeway and BART. This will help us have some clout that is long deserved," she said, adding that Bay Point has lived under an unfair stigma for years.

The hotel, which was proposed in May 2007, has taken longer than expected to reach this point because it is located on an "inherently tough property," Brockbank said. Part of the 1.87 acres is flat, he said, while the rest is a steep embankment left by the lowering of the Highway 4 Willow Pass grade in the early 1990s.

Patel said he hopes to open the hotel by 2010.

Paul Burgarino covers Pittsburg and Bay Point. Reach him at 925- 779-7164 or pburgarino@bayareanewsgroup.com.