The saying “if you build it, they will come” didn’t really hold true for the downtown Kansas City, Kansas Hilton Garden Inn hotel.
The Unified Government Commission has now given the UG administrator permission to move forwardwith an agreement to sell the hotel.
UG owns a little less than 50 percent of the 147 room hotel.
Finished in 2002, much of the money spent on building the hotel came from federal grant money.
Johnny C’s restaurant located across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn expected to see new visitors after the hotel was built.
Restaurant Manager Marie James said, “Everything was building up around in Downtown Kansas City, Kansas so we thought we would come in, get through the door.”
However, James said that business didn’t come from out-of-towners, “every now and then we got that, but not a lot.”
Since the hotel’s construction, an audit showed the UG spent more than $5 million to keep the hotel afloat plus an additional $2 million on renovations.
Commissioner Ann Murguia (3rd District) wasn’t in office when the hotel was built but commented, “Governments aren’t really in the hotel business, that’s not what we do so it was odd to begin with I have to tell you.”
Specific details on the sale haven’t been released yet but Murguia thinks it will be a step forward.
“I don’t believe [owning the hotel] it was a very fiscally responsible thing to do. I’m just glad this new commission and our mayor are willing to sell the property because I think long term that will be better for the hotel and way better for our community," said Murguia.
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Shannon Halligan can be reached at shannon.halligan@kshb.com.