Ground has been broken on a multi-million dollar Candlewood Suites hotel in Newark. The six-story hotel is at the corner of College Avenue and Route 896.
Owner is SSN Hotels. Bancroft Construction is the construction manager. Tevebaugh Associates is the architect. Financing is through M&T Bank.
Development of the site dates back to 2008. However, the financial crisis and overcapacity in the hotel industry apparently contributed to the delays. Neighborhood opponents also questioned the height of the structure and operations of nearby hotel, which is near a residential area.
The Candlewood Suites is at the edge of the property housing Red Roof Inn and Suites, formerly Howard Johnson, which is also owned by SSN. SSN, which is based near Newark, owns more than a dozen hotels in the Delaware Valley and the Rehoboth area.
Three additional hotels are under development.
Candlewood is a limited service hotel brand owned by the parent company of Holiday Inn. The Newark property will include large rooms and a convenience store that operates around the clock.
Candlewood will serve I-95 travelers as well as business people who may have extended stays in the area.
Cost of the hotel was not immediately available. The hotel industry has undergone a modest recovery with new hotels opening in Christiana and Wilmington.
