Saline Mayor Brian Marl gives a new update on half-built hotel site

The Saline community can soon expect to see some construction/rehab activity at the site of the half-built hotel on East Michigan Avenue, Saline Mayor Brian Marl said in an update post to the community.

Marl posted an update on Facebook on March 8, about the building and site known as the half-built Saline Hotel:

"Hotel Update -

Staff and I were on-site earlier this morning, meeting with the owner, general contractor, and various trades-people -

The main building permit has been reviewed, approved, and paid for. Specific contractors and carpenters will be in & out of the facility this week - however, we anticipate that most of the initial construction/rehab activity will begin early during the week of March 13th.

As I may have shared previously, the hotel is being rebranded, and will open as a Hampton Inn by Hilton. If the owner/contractors commit to the announced schedule, we anticipate the hotel will open in the late summer, or early fall of 2023.

Additionally, mechanical plans have been reviewed, staff are now waiting on the appropriate contractors to pull the necessary permits. I must add - kudos to our Community Development Department for their thoughtful & thorough review of the revised plans submitted by the Bacall Group. City staff has done a phenomenal job helping to move this project along, while still exercising the utmost caution, and not cutting any corners.

The City will have more to share in the coming weeks. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns -"

This photo was part of Saline Mayor Brian Marl's post about city staff meeting with the planners for the Hampton Inn by Hilton.

This update follows one from last August, when Marl said he promised an update on the dormant hotel. He said on August 18, 2022, the Bacall Group took ownership of said property, located at 1250 East Michigan Avenue.

According to Marl, “The Bacall Group owns & operates more than 50 hotels in the Midwest region - they have a strong and impressive track record of successfully completing projects, while also being active in community affairs.”

He said he and city staff were eager to work with them.

He ended his August post with, “We'll have more information, including a joint press release to share in the coming weeks. Additionally, because many have inquired, I have confirmed with our City Treasurer's office, the 2022 summer taxes have been paid. Finally, mowing and some basic landscaping will also occur on-site in the very near future.”

The hotel and its construction halted around three years ago. STN reporter Sarah Hirshland reported last August that it “was originally designed to be a Best Western Premier hotel boasting 63 rooms, a banquet space, and a restaurant among its three stories. The new addition to the town was originally set to open in the summer of 2018 with an estimated $9 million dollars in investments.”

To see a previous STN article on this, go to https://thesuntimesnews.com/g/saline-mi/n/117939/best-western-premier-hotel-saline-stands-dormant-talk-new-ownership.