By Katie Atkins, Post-Journal
P-J photo Katie Atkins
ELLICOTT – Hotel developer Jayesh Patel said he’s had great success with his four hotels in Chautauqua County.
That’s why he and his business partner Ramesh Patel are adding another to the list, a new Holiday Inn Express near Exit 12 in the town of Ellicott.
Building began on the 70-room hotel in August, and Jayesh Patel said construction has been moving along on schedule despite a rainy end to the summer.
“We are hopeful we will open the doors for our guests in April 2015,” he said.
County Executive Vince Horrigan said the new hotel is another step in economic development for the county.
“We’re continuing to see hospitality and tourism kind of lead the way here, and this is going to be a great step for us moving forward with the opening right in time for the summer,” he said.
Patel said more hotel projects are in the planning stages for Chautauqua County, with one in Dunkirk and a potential extended-stay property in the Jamestown area.
The Patels operate 23 hotels in New York state alone, including a Best Western and a Comfort Inn in Dunkirk and, after the Holiday Inn Express is complete, three in Jamestown. The Best Western on Third Street and the Hampton Inn near the new hotel are operated by the Patels.
“More new buildings means more new jobs, and this type of development is significant to Chautauqua County,” said Kevin Sanvidge, executive director for the county Industrial Development Agency. “I think it just shows what we at the IDA have in our toolbox to help businesses such as this.”
While several Jamestown officials opposed the idea of the agency granting a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes program for the hotel project in its early planning stages, a tax lease was granted along with a loan from the IDA’s Al-tech fund in the amount of $250,000.
