DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Cobblestone Hotels, a national brand based in Neenah, purchased the 1.92-acre property for its first location in Door County: a four-story, 62-unit building.
"It's taken a while to put some pieces of the puzzle together," Cobblestone Hotels President of Development Jeremy Griesbach said. "But we're very excited."
It will be constructed in front of Tall Pine Estates on Egg Harbor Road and will include two signs installed 40 feet above the ground, which Griesbach says will help drivers see it better.
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"All the growth and lodging up there has been predominantly Airbnb and house rentals, which is obviously a competitor of ours," Griesbach said. "But directly from the hotel's standpoint, there hasn't been anything brand new in about 25 years."
The 48-foot building exceeds Sturgeon Bay's height limit of 45 feet and requires special approval from the city.
"It's pretty standard in today's world with the way construction costs have gone since that thing called COVID," Griesbach said when asked what he thought about the property being one of the tallest buildings in the city. "It's more economical to build up than it is out."
Some neighbors I spoke to who live nearby did not know that the hotel was being built. Others said they were upset by the development and the traffic it would bring to the area.
All of them declined an on-camera interview.
Griesbach says they've worked with the City of Sturgeon Bay to ensure neighbors' safety, including building a retention pond on the property and a direct sidewalk connection to Egg Harbor Road.
He also says that the hotel will be open in about a year.
