MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - The Santa Rita Hotel was set to begin construction in Oct. 2016. But now the project is facing more delays. Midland City Council approved a four month extension on the hotel at their Tuesday morning meeting.
Now, construction is set for the end of February next year.
Brad Barnett, Executive Vice President of Tourism and Facilities, said the hotel being delayed does not hurt the convention centers schedule at all.
"So even with their timetable being pushed back, it's allowed us to be able to catch up," said Barnett. "We hope to be finished with the convention center in July of 2018 and be able to be open in late August, early September of that year. So it's not a major factor to us, it's not like we'll be open a year before they are."
Mayor Jerry Morales said a huge reason the construction is delayed again is they haven't seen financials, or all of the plans. He said once that comes, or doesn't come, they can move forward.
"So once the financials are submitted to the staff so that we can review them, then we can receive the rest of the design work," said Morales. "We can't move forward with negotiations because we don't even have an agreement. What we have is proposals, discussion on the table. But until we get financials, we have to see their financials then this project is secured. Then we can begin to start drawing up agreements and putting the names on dotted lines. "
With the new deadline, instead of finishing up construction in August of 2018, the hotel is slotted to finish on March 31, 2019.
