MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – In a 5 to 1 vote, the Marquette City Commission approved the amended development plan for the proposed Vault Hotel in downtown Marquette, effectively green-lighting the new venture.
The board approved the change from the original proposal, which was submitted in July of 2021, to the current plan, which changes and scales back the scope of the project.
The new plan now includes a 5 story stand alone Hilton branded hotel along the 100 block of South Lakeshore Boulevard, as any work on the old savings bank building has been moved to phase two of the project and delayed by five years due to structural issues.
Parking for the project has also been scaled back, with the elimination of an indoor 200-space publicly financed parking facility in favor of an 80-space outdoor privately funded parking lot. This change was necessary because the ground beneath the property is unsuitable for underground development.
The project also dropped plans for multi-family housing units.
What this does for US is a sign of investment. It’s a sign of development that is going to be projected out for several years, and it will bring more people into our downtown, more people interested in our city.
There were many people who voiced their opposition to the project during the public comment section. The detractors cited false promises, traffic congestion, and losing precious views of Lake Superior as reasons to oppose the project.
