Two new hotels set to open this fall will replace University Plaza

Bloomington's hotel industry is getting a push in the upscale market with the building of a new Radisson Hotel and conference center this fall.\nThe corner of Kinser Pike and the bypass, formerly the site of University Plaza Hotel, 1710 Kinser Pike, is going through a multi-million dollar renovation to accommodate a deluxe Radisson hotel and 4,000 foot meeting center, with a connected Comfort Inn, said Radisson hotel project manager Robert Lansdell. The University Plaza hotel closed more than a week ago and the twin hotels are slated to open in August.\nLansdell said the seven-month project will result in 116 rooms in the Radisson, 66 rooms in the Comfort Inn, a full service restaurant and bar. All Radisson rooms will feature state-of-the-art televisions, iPod docking stations and high speed Internet. The University Plaza hotel had 186 rooms, according to its Web site.\n"Everything is being totally gutted," Lansdell said. "All furniture and carpeting has already been removed and the interior will be totally renovated."\nThough the opening of the Radisson will create 70 new jobs, all University Plaza hotel employees have technically lost their jobs, Lansdell said. \n"When you buy a property, the other closes," Lansdell said. "There are currently no people employed. But of course everyone can apply to work (with the Radisson/Comfort Inn)."\nThe University Plaza Hotel had fallen into disrepair in recent years, said Valerie Pena, executive director of the Convention and Visitor's Bureau in Bloomington. The Plaza was Bloomington's largest hotel and when an upscale developer bought the property, she said she was excited. \n"Losing quality at that location was difficult," Pena said. "The Radisson brings to the mix more of what our current customers expect and gives us a product we can market."\nThough Bloomington has many hotels, Pena said the Radisson will only be the fourth in the category of upscale hotels. Pena expects that the opening of the Radisson to boost Bloomington's role in the industry of convention services.\n"Currently, our convention capacity is limited to 300 person groups," Pena said. "What we've been hearing from meeting planners is that Bloomington is getting better, but we're not there yet."\nRon Walker, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation encourages downtown development in the professional area of offices and office buildings. If this market were to increase, he said, it would be a primary demander of more, higher quality hotels and convention centers.\n"We've been in favor of renovations at that location for a long time," Walker said. "I think it's super."\nIn anticipation of this heightened demand, Walker said he and city officials are already looking at more hotel space in Bloomington. A study was conducted in 2004 to rate the feasibility and affordability of a 300-room hotel at the corner of Third Street and College Avenue, he said. Though the completed study did confirm that Bloomington's market has the capacity to support a hotel of this size, Walker says the project is moving at a "snail's pace."\nLansdell said he sees a limited market as a business advantage.\n"When you are the operator of both properties that gives us a double-edged sword," Lansdell said. "We provide for both an upscale and mid-scale market. We control both those markets"