Work on the construction of the new Cobblestone Hotel continues. The picture show that the framing is nearly complete for the first floor and has begun for the second floor. Nice weather for the past couple of weeks have really aided the construction. The hotel owners/investors plan to have the hotel completed by June 1, ready for the busy summer time. The hotel will be located north of West 13th Street (next to the First Christian Church) on Highway 218, also known as K Avenue in Vinton. The new hotel will complement the City's current lodging choice which include the Modern Motel and the Lion and Lamb Bed and Breakfast Inn.

The new hotel will start at 31 rooms with a couple of large whirlpool suites, a small bar and 15-person meeting room. The hotel may expand later to over 50 rooms with a swimming pool.

In addition to the hotel, and to provide access to the hotel, the City is constructing a new street off Highway 218 that will be called West 11th Street. The bids that were received for the new street were very favorable. City-wide Construction from Cedar Rapids was the lowest, responsible bidder with a bid about $12,000 less than the engineer's estimate. Hart-Frederick Consultants from Tiffin is doing the engineering work.

The new street will also provide access to an empty piece of land on the north side of the street that may appeal to a developer for a new convenience or restaurant to serve hotel customers.

The picture to the left shows where the street will be constructed to the north of the hotel from Highway 218.