New 2nd St. Holiday Inn close to opening

Here's some from today's column about more hotel action on Second Street Southwest.

Special thanks to Josh Banks for the pic. I'm glad you are out there on the the street with your camera.

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Construction crews are busy working on the final stages of Rochester's newest hotel as it gears up for its opening.

The tentative plan is to open the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites by the Miracle Mile shopping center by the end of March.

This 85-room hotel is the centerpiece of the Shoppes on Second development. That project, spearheaded by Rick Penz, of Rochester, includes the hotel and two commercial buildings. Tenants of the other buildings have not been announced, other than a Cousins Sub shop.

Lamont Cos. of South Dakota is building the hotel. They expect to have about 30 employees at the new hotel.

And this Holiday Inn is just the start for Lamont Cos. in Rochester.

"We'll be doing a full-service Holiday Inn shortly after this one,"  said Jeff Lamont, the owner of  Lamont Cos., last fall. The location for that one has not been announced.