When an innovative commercial real estate mortgage lender joins forces with a respected leader in hotel management and development, progress happens and a community wins.
AVANA Capital and Middletown Hotel Management (MHM) have brought to fruition a hotel and event center that will be an anchor for the township and a Butler County tourism draw for years to come.
The new, modern and contemporary Centre Park is expected to create up to 135 new full- and part-time jobs and will feature a full-service Holiday Inn with 130 rooms, an Event and Banquet Center that can entertain up to 650 guests, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse restaurant (the “First in Ohio”), and a “Blue” Lounge. The owners, Middletown Hotel Management-Union Center Innkeepers, project an opening sometime in the fall of 2015.
The groundbreaking for Centre Park will be celebrated in a ceremony at the site, located at 5800 Muhlhauser Road, in late August. Representatives from U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s office and Ohio Governor John Kaisch’s office along with Senator Bill Coley are expected to attend.
As with many MHM projects, the facility, which will be constructed by HiFive Development, Mason, OH, will be one of the most eco-friendly hotels in the marketplace, featuring LED lighting, a rooftop energy management system to control heating and air, and acoustical separation to minimize noise, among other features. “Green” design and a commitment to the environment are hallmarks of MHM as they move forward, which focuses on creating more sustainable businesses that cuts costs, increases efficiency and improves the health and vitality of guests and communities. The founder, CEO, and President of MHM, Har S. Bhatnagar, is a former engineer who applies technical design expertise to all of MHM’s projects. His analytical skills and attention to detail have helped make MHM a leader in the Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus regional markets.
Middletown Hotel Management also owns and operates several Marriott, Hilton, and IHG Brand hotels in the Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton markets. With its approximately 200 employees, MHM is carving out a niche in the hospitality industry as consistently exceeding guest expectations by anticipating their needs, attention to detail, and demonstrating warmth and concern. This can be seen through the hundreds of reviews left by the guests themselves ranking the majority of the hotels #1 in their market amongst their competitors. Middletown Hotel Management is able to do this and do it well primarily because of its workforce, a multi-skilled team which are urged to be empowered to own their activities and roles every workday. They believe that maintaining employees that have that gift to hospitality in their heart to leave every guest feeling like family is a trait they seek in every employee. Middletown Hotel Management’s nurturing of these valued employees, to grow within the company through helping with continuous learning and skill development, leads to a team that is not afraid to speak up with offbeat ideas and understands that it will be respected and heard to be leaders in the industry. For more information on Middletown Hotel Management, visit www.middletownhotelmanagement.com.
AVANA Capital, a commercial real estate lending company based in Glendale, Arizona, provided a critical helping hand that will bring business to West Chester and beyond, and by extension, strengthen the community.
“The can-do attitude of the AVANA Capital people was key to bringing this project to life,” said Bob Ritter, Vice President of Operations for Middletown. “There’s no substitute for a drive to want to get things done, and that’s what AVANA brought to the table. It is always great to work with professionals who are able to focus on a single goal and make it happen. Financing was a challenge and without their help, we wouldn’t be as far along. They had patience and made sure all requirements were met.”
Over the past few years, AVANA Capital has funded more than $600 million in loans in 30 states across the country, preserving or generating more than 9,000 jobs.
“This is the exact kind of execution that makes us proud,” said Sanat Patel, Managing Partner of AVANA Capital. “ It was a team effort through and through with Payal Bhatia, our underwriter, at the center of the beehive, coordinating all the people and moving parts fluidly and efficiently. We are excited to help in creating a major hub of business and activity with Middletown Management’s team, as well as our bank lending partners, IAB Financial of Fort Wayne, IN and Metro City Bank of Atlanta, GA. There will be new jobs, a great new event venue, new dining and entertainment options, and a new destination for tourists and business travelers. Kudos to all for achieving the true meaning of ‘team’.”
