North Cornwall Commons holds groundbreaking for extended stay hotel

Byler Holdings held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning for a Marriott TownePlace Suites hotel at North Cornwall Commons.

Though the weather made for nice photos, harsh winds and a chill meant that most of the ceremony was held in the clubhouse for an apartment building also in the commons.

As Byler Holdings director of operations Mike Swank explained Wednesday, the hotel designed for long-term stays will be the second Marriott location in the mixed-used development.

The four-story building is planned to contain 89 units, each with a fully equipped kitchen — a detail recently ironed out as North Cornwall supervisors amended the Springwood Settlement agreement April 1 to allow cooktops in extended stay hotel rooms. The pet-friendly site will include a grilling area, fitness center, laundry facilities, business center, and pool.

Swank lauded the “common sense approach” of the township supervisors, with chairman Mike Wahmann in attendance for the groundbreaking.

Also in attendance were county commissioners Jo Ellen Litz and Mike Kuhn, state Rep. John Schlegel, and representatives for Congressman Dan Meuser and state Senator Chris Gebhard.

Jennifer Kuzo of Visit Lebanon Valley praised the project, explaining that $296 million is generated annually in tourism to Lebanon County. She noted the hotel’s proximity to the Lebanon Valley Exposition Center & Fairgrounds, home to the annual Lebanon Area Fair.

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“The more options we have for these people, the better,” Kuzo said. “We’ll take good care of them once they’re here.”

Susan Eberly of the Lebanon Valley Economic Development Corportation said North Cornwall Commons has been “a top-notch development from inception.”

Byler Holdings president and CEO Jonathan Byler thanked those involved in the project, saying he’s “super lucky to have the staff we have to all this stuff. We could never do it without all of them.”

This hotel is one of many projects in the 136-acre North Cornwall Commons, which will eventually span both sides of Cornwall Road.