MIDLAND, Texas —
The Western United Life Building is now history.
But now the city of Midland needs to find something to do with all that free space.
So, on Tuesday, the city council got to work on finding out just how to do that.
They gave the green light to the Midland Development Corporation to negotiate with a developer on bringing a new hotel downtown.
The proposed hotel would be called Hotel Santa Rita. If it gets the final go-ahead, it's expected to be a financial boom to the city's tax base.
“It's going to be great,” said MDC chairman Chase Gardaphe. “I also think it's going to be great for the citizens of Midland, because now you can have a great staycation place. It will also bring an energy that will encourage people to open up small shops. It will be beneficial for small businesses in the area. It allows a whole central downtown district that will attract people and then allow them to spend the whole day there.”
The total cost of the project is around $125 million, and construction is planned to begin next year if everything gets the okay.