A new downtown Milwaukee boutique-style hotel is in the works even though most are closed right now

While the tourism industry is at a standstill during the coronavirus pandemic, a new  hotel project is in the works in Milwaukee.

A building permit application was filed for a hotel project downtown at 790 N. Jackson St. The project was called the Adams Hotel on the application.

The application, filed with the city's Department of Neighborhood Services by Milwaukee-based architecture and design firm Rinka, said it was for interior demolition.

The Adams Hotel will be a small boutique-style hotel, Rinka said.

The concrete and brick building was originally built in 1920 as an automobile showroom, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. A two-story addition was made in 1982.

The building is owned by ABFH LLC. The company did not return a phone call Wednesday.

Many hotels across the Milwaukee area are closed to guests as stay-at-home orders in Wisconsin and elsewhere keep people from traveling.

Greg Hanis, an industry consultant, said he views this economic development as a positive sign that there is optimism about the industry after the pandemic.

"If you build a hotel, you're building a hotel for the future," Hanis said. A hotel development filing permits now wouldn't open for at least another 12 to 18 months, he said.

"People will always want to travel," he said.

Source:  JSOnline.com