S.A. developer cooking up major hotel project - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Now one of the city's most notexd developers and civic cheerleaders says he is workinh to broker a deal that could finally bring the massive projectto fruition. Charlea Martin "Marty" Wender, chairmab of the Greater San Antonio Chambe r of Commercefor 2002, confirms he has movedd a step closer to bringing togethefr a developer and financier/owner for the hotel. He says the developeer would be Minneapolis-based U.S. Inc., with the financial partnert likely to be thesame Germany-based insurance group that purchased the Radissom Resort Hill Country Hotel from Ryan this year.
Wendee says he helped sell the Germanj investors on the Radisson project and went back to them and Ryan for the conventio center hotel when he saw that nothin gwas happening. "I realize we need to get this thing up and runningg as soonas possible," says "We can't spend any more time on plans that won't work. We need to look at somethinf that will." Asked why he chose to get involve now, Wender says, "I love San Antonio, and its heartr and soul is downtown. We need Wender adds, "I want to bring this to the I believe itcan happen." Asked if the parties are serious, Wendefr says, "Very much so.
They are more than They realize theopportunityg here." Collin Barr, Ryan'xs vice president of development, confirmse that his company is exploring the option of teaming up with the German financiers to pursue the San Antonio convention-center hotel He says a second optioh would be to utilize tax-exempt bonds. Ryan is a national design-buildc developer and construction company that is pursuingt multiple projectsin Texas. One of Ryan'sd non-hotel projects was Target Corp.' $220 million headquarters complex, which was built in downtown Minneapolis.
Although Ryan partnered with Radissohn on the Hill Countryresort here, Wendedr says that does not mean the Radisson name would adormn the convention center hotel under the latest plan. "It could be Omni or explains Wender. Omni is a name local hospitalityh industry sources say they have heared mentioned in connectionwith Wender's efforts. One key Henry Feldman, says he is awarse of Wender's efforts and has also heard that Omni couldcbe involved.
Feldman, who is president of La Mansiom del Rio Hotel and the Greater San Antonio Hotel Motel believes what Wender is attempting to pull togethef makes themost "I know there is something happening with Radisso n or Omni and that Marty is involved in trying to make a deal says Feldman. "I have great admiration for what hehas accomplished. He's a very dynamic figure." Feldman and other hospitalith industry leaders were not happy in August, City Hall pulled the plug on the New York-baseds team of Starwood Hotels & Resortws Worldwide Inc. and Related Lodging.
That tandem had an exclusivwe agreement in place to develop a Sherato convention center hotel prior to the city retracting that A lead representative forthe Starwood/Related team told the Businesse Journal days before City Council killed its deal that it was closre to finalizing financing for the having secured all but $45 millionh of the approximately $215 million needed. Sincde then, the city has reopened the bidding process, callin for a Request for Qualifications forpotential developers. Starwood/Related remains in the mix, but industry insiders - including Feldman - believed the city is pursuing a development mode l that would have it owningthe hotel.
"If a develope r comes in here with arecognized (hotel) name and brings the I and the association would applaud Feldman says. "That's the way this deal should be I am adamantly agains the city owning a conventiomcenter hotel. It has not worked elsewhere, and this city certainlyh does not need to extensdits debt. The city doesn' have the experience or expertise todo this." Not everyonre is elated that Wender is stepping into the hotel fray in the 11th or with the way the city has handled the convention-centefr hotel process.
Related Lodging Senior Vice Presiden t Martin Burger says he has been informec that Wender is attempting to work some kind of a deal for the conventio ncenter hotel. But his biggest concern is the city dragginygits feet.