RANTOUL – Two soccer events this year have either had their schedule changed or have decided not to hold the event at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex due to a lack of available lodging in the Rantoul/Champaign-Urbana area.
The need for additional hotel rooms is obvious, said Township Administrator Scott Eisenhauer, a fact that has angered township officials who are trying to entice businesses to build near the sports complex.
Both events “took place on weekends when hotel rooms in Champaign-Urbana were at capacity,” Eisenhauer said. “One weekend was marathon weekend and one was graduation” at the University of Illinois.
A development agreement is still pending to build a new four-story, 80-room Hampton Inn near the sports complex, but town officials wonder if it will ever happen.
Meanwhile, another group of investors is making rumors that they would like to build a hotel.
“I can’t reveal the names of the other hotels until they have purchased the property,” said Eisenhauer. “One group has an option on a property.”
“The deal has not yet been finalized. As far as I know, they are still in the due diligence phase and we are waiting to see what happens next and when.”
Eisenhauer developers were actively involved in finalizing a purchase agreement for the property and seeking financing and a brand.
As the process continues, the number of rooms to be planned and the floor plan of the property must be determined.
The group began reviewing options earlier this summer, and Eisenhauer said he was “optimistic and confident” that the project would come to fruition.
There are four guest accommodations in Rantoul with a total of about 250 rooms: Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Super 8, First Heritage Inn and Illini Inn and Suites.
However, far more are needed – an estimated 500 rooms.
“This not only meets the needs here in Rantoul with the sports complex and the motocross facility, but also the numerous events in Gordyville and, frankly, even in Champaign-Urbana, especially those related to university sports that often fill the hotel rooms in Rantoul,” Eisenhauer said.
The motocross facility was built in a former hangar at Chanute Air Force Base and is expected to attract even more visitors from outside the area by adding a timing system for the racing events.
Another new attraction is the construction of a paintball facility, also on the former air force base, which is expected to be officially opened in the fall.
The Hampton Inn developers had been in talks before the COVID-19 pandemic, Eisenhauer said, and two years ago they signed an agreement and purchased land north of the Holiday Inn Express.
However, there are no plans yet for the actual construction of the hotel.
“There still seems to be some interest in the discussions, but nothing concrete in the direction of construction,” said Eisenhauer.
He said that the illness of a developer initially halted construction, and then, after the project was put out to tender, construction costs turned out to be much higher than originally planned.
“As far as I know, they are waiting for material supplies and labor costs to stabilize and hope to then launch a new tender and get better results,” he said.
On another front, Village President Chuck Smith said Culver’s is moving forward with plans to build a new restaurant on West Champaign Avenue, east of Jimmy John’s.
“They sent us the plans last week,” Smith said. “Our building and construction department is going through them right now. Hopefully we’ll see some earth moving in September.”
