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Courtyard by Marriott to Open Along Highway 49 in Jonesboro

2 min read

A new Courtyard by Marriott hotel is set to open in summer 2016 at the traffic signal at the entrance of the NEA Baptist Healthcare System Campus on Highway 49 North in Jonesboro.

Hunt Properties purchased the 2.28 acres of land from Haag Brown Commercial and construction will begin in late fall on the five-story, 106-room hotel. According to Haag Brown Commercial co-owner and principal Joshua Brown, the fact that the hotel is a Marriott and situated so close to a $500 million medical campus makes it an even more important addition to the city.

“There’s been a shortage of quality hotel rooms, (especially) business hotel rooms,” Brown said. “There’s a lack of options especially on that north side of Jonesboro.”

There were several factors that contributed to the site location choice by Marriott, including the economic forecast, the potential of the medical community and the investment potential of the community of Jonesboro. 

City officials and local developers had expected the new Baptist campus to spur development along the highway. The six-floor, 550,000-SF hospital and adjoining 213,000-SF medical office building opened in 2013.

“We feel like this property is one of the best pieces of real estate in the area. With the controlled access, proximity to the health care campus and exposure to 22,000 commuters per day, it is the ideal site for an upscale hotel,” Brown said.

David Hunt of Hunt Properties and Hunt-Williams Development is the developer of the new hotel. According to Brown, the land acquisition alone cost about $1.2 million. 

Brown said he expects to see a more new hotels in Jonesboro in the next few years, with the next one being Arkansas State University’s convention center project.

Arkansas State has been working since 2013 to establish a hotel and convention center complex less than five miles away from the Marriott site on an 11-acre tract between the university’s baseball field and football stadium. In February, the university entered into negotiations with O’Reilly Hospitality Management LLC of Springfield, Missouri, to develop an Embassy Suites hotel, a conference center and Houlihan’s restaurant on the site.

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