Times Observer file photo DewBoi Properties owns several properties along Liberty Street, including this one that’s proposed as the location for a boutique hotel. It’s been over two years since the concept was first pitched to city staff. Facade improvements to a couple of those buildings are expected to be completed by June.

It’s been over two years since the concept of a boutique hotel on Liberty Street was first pitched to city officials.

Visible signs of that effort will start to appear in the coming weeks.

Tom Christeson, founder of Dewboi Properties, gave an update to the city’s Redevelopment Authority this week. He said that facade work should be completed on at least three of the properties. His firm owns 211, 213-215, 217, 219 and 223 Liberty St. City facade dollars are involved at 211 Liberty St. and 213-215 Liberty St.

“We expect to do a lot more that goes outside the scope of the facade grant,” Christeson said, including new windows and painting in addition to cleaning and brick work.

He expects that scope of the facade work would be complete by the middle of June.

“We hope to get that started, the painting, as soon as the weather breaks,” he added. “We’re pretty close here.”

219 Liberty St. is the former Brick House location, likely the building on the block in the worst condition.

“We’re waiting to get on the schedule for the demolition for the backend of the Brick House,” Christeson said, telling the RDA he’s looking to get that scheduled in the next month.

“We don’t have any plans at this point of what’s going to go in the Brick House,” he said.

The process of finalizing and securing some of the state funding involved in the project will result in the hotel work not likely starting for six months.

“One of the things that would be encouraging to people is starting to see something happen,” RDA member Doug Hearn said.

The city has been awarded $7 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding and how to utilize it has been a moving target.

The initial Liberty St. proposal is called the Wendelboe Hotel and included an 18-room boutique level hotel with a 25 to 40 seat cafe.

The proposed location is the former Watt Office Supplies building on Liberty Street.

When this project was initially pitched, another boutique hotel was proposed on the riverfront. That idea has since fallen though.

In addition to state funding through the RACP program, the RDA also loaned Dewboi Properties $250,000.

Administrative Assistant Kassie Damcott reminded the RDA this week that the state also awarded a grant-to-loan for $183,025 specifically for the Brick House.

“That has to be fronted by the RDA,” she said, with reimbursement to come from DCED. “That then goes into a revolving loan fund.”

From there, DewBoi will repay the total to the RDA.

Damcott said there’s a June 2025 deadline to expend those funds.