by Osman Parvez
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Everyone seems to be talking about gloomy economic times, but you may be surprised to find out that many projects are still striding forward. Seven hotels are scheduled for completion along US 36 by 2012, when ConocoPhillips is expected to open up shop at the former StorageTek campus.

Denver Business Journal reports:

“Obviously all of the major lenders have pulled out of the market, and no one on Wall Street is going to finance $100 million projects,” said Steve Hennis, director of Hospitium, a hospitality research firm based in Arvada. “A lot of those projects on the Boulder corridor are probably $20-$25 million.”

Here is a breakdown of the seven projects:

These hotels would add over 800 rooms to Broomfield, more than doubling its current amount. However, these projects are cheaper than typical, full-service hotels. They offer limited-service or extended-stay lodging. The smaller brands are facing a bit of difficulty in securing financing, but most are confident despite the tight credit market.

Numerous hotels already litter the 36 corridor. These new projects are a direct response to ConocoPhillips’ announcement earlier this year of launching a training facility after purchasing the StorageTek campus in Broomfield for $58 million. Not only does it illustrate the ConocoPhillips impact, but this is yet another step towards the revamp and filling in of the corridor between Denver and Boulder.

image: Hilton Garden Inn (Raleigh, NC) by batsignal

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