Cobblestone Hotel and Suites in Stevens Point, Wis.

New hotel a possibility

By Michael Butler

The Tallassee area might be in line for a new hotel, said mayor Johnny Hammock, who met with Retail Strategies and Cobblestone Hotels recently.

"They love Tallassee," Hammock said. "They're trying to get into the southeast and Alabama. They reached out to Retail Strategies and saw that we were getting a prison with 3,900 contractors here working for a number of years. With the visitors coming and our industrial park, they're interested. I had another meeting with the guy who owns the Days Inn in Shorter."

Cobblestone Hotels acquired Key West which has hotels in Alabama including Millbrook, Wetumpka and Montgomery. Cobblestone, based in Wisconsin, was founded in 2008 and is classified as an upper-midscale brand.

"The hotel will need two acres," Hammock added. "Also Retail Strategies represents a few out of state construction companies that want to build houses in the Tallassee area for the prison workforce and their families. They are looking for 25-100- acre parcels and willing to pay up to $10,000 to $15,000 an acre."

Hammock said that property owners interested should contact him by email: mayor@tallassee-al.gov.