Groundbreaking ceremony held for Western Front Hotel in St. Paul

Developer Creative Boutique Hotels (CBH) held a groundbreaking ceremony this month for the 33-room Western Front Hotel in downtown St. Paul.

The $7.3 million boutique hotel is expected to open by summer 2017. 

Creative Boutique Hotels is a Virginia-based partnership focused on the development of boutique hotels in small markets.

The hotel will be developed utilizing the former Willis and Dye buildings. In addition to guest rooms it will include a restaurant and music venue; rooftop dining; a rooftop bar and outdoor entertainment spaces.

“The hotel will be designed for those who enjoy the many exciting outdoor activities the region has to offer – ATV trails, hiking, tubing on the Clinch River, fishing, kayaking and so much more,” Kimberly Christner, president of Cornerstone Hospitality and a partner in Creative Boutique Hotels, said in a statement.

Various programs and grants are being used to fund the project including state and federal historic tax credits as well as Department of Housing and Community Development and Appalachian Regional Commission grants.

CBH will use $250,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Growth Fund for the project. It also has secured low interest loans from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Community Development Corp.

CBH also announced that Travis Milton will be developing and operating food and beverage concepts for all its properties in the region, including the Western Front Hotel.