Demolition to start next month at new hotel site

Posted: Tuesday, July 27th

By David Montgomery

PIERRE — Work should begin within a month on the new multi-million-dollar hotel development on west Sioux Avenue near the Ramkota.

Robert Thimjon, chief financial officer for Regency Hotel Management, said his company plans to begin demolition work on the former Marlin’s Family Restaurant and Roadway Express Stop gas station on Aug. 23.

As existing buildings are destroyed, workers will begin to build a ClubHouse Hotel and Suites on the newly cleared land.

“Right now we’ve got packages out for demolition bids,” said Thimjon. “We’re looking at that starting on Aug. 23.”

Thimjon declined to comment on an expected completion date for the project, but said his company’s plan is to pave the parking lot around the hotel complex next spring or summer.

Those areas intended to hold parking will remain undeveloped during the first phase of the project, used instead as staging areas for construction equipment erecting the main building.

“What you don’t want to do is put in a brand new parking lot now and then put the construction equipment on it,” Thimjon said.

The infrastructure work, including removing gas tanks from under the ground and building parking, is supported by a Tax Increment Financing district approved by the city of Pierre in June. That TIF district will pay for $1.5 million in infrastructure improvements out of future property tax collections from the development.