By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell believes a deal will be made relatively soon so that the city can gain control of the Atrium Hotel property.
"We're in the process right now of undergoing some environmental background review of the property," Cantrell said. "That's basic pro forma under the terms of the contract, something you would do with any large commercial or industrial property. We're in that process now. We're working closely with the owner of the property to bring those terms together. I think we're really at a point where everyone is on the same page with the purchase price and the terms. I think the seller would like to see it close a little quicker. That's possible if we pass some of these environmental hurdles."
Cantrell sees the deal getting done in the next few months.
"Sometime within the next 60 to 90 days, at least on paper," Cantrell said. "The big question then becomes, when do we see bulldozers in there knocking stuff down and squaring the property up? That's something that could probably be envisioned early next year, mid-spring."
The goal is to ultimately pay for the improvements with a transient guest tax increase of 1%.