ORONO, Maine — On Saturday morning, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the University of Maine in Orono to celebrate a $28 million project that will bring a boutique hotel to campus.
Construction for the project began in September. The university is renovating its historic Coburn Hall and Holmes Hall which have both been empty for the last decade. It will also construct an additional building for the project.
The hotel will feature 95 rooms, suites between the three buildings, and a bistro café.
To celebrate this event, leaders of the project were joined by Dannel Malloy, Chancellor of the University of Maine System, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, President of UMaine, along with town officials and representatives to support this endeavor.
"We bring people in on a research basis, on a constant, 12-month a year basis. But, I also think it's going to draw people to the area, it's a beautiful area. We also know people want to come and kick the tires at the University of Maine, great place to stay on campus for people who are thinking about coming to the university," Malloy said.
"I envision conferences and special meetings, I hope that parents and families will find it a wonderful place to be when they come to visit their students, and students who are looking at the University of Maine will be able to come and stay here as they do their visits as well," Ferrini-Mundy said.
The project is expected to be completed in about 18 months, and ready to open sometime in early 2024.