State money to help pay for a boutique hotel in the former Loranger building is a good investment in Warren’s riverfront.

The building’s continued renovation is investment in our downtown that is desparately needed and, in our view, a less controversial ways to address some of the perceived need for additional hotel rooms in downtown Warren.

The $250,000 in Keystone Communities funding will help add 12,419 square feet of boutique hotel space to the former Loranger building already partially occupied by Bent Run Brewing and Allegheny Outfitters.

A boutique hotel doesn’t change the character of the riverfront but adds rooms for travelers similar to an Airbnb. This project is expected to move quickly, with construction starting in November and occupancy as early as next May.

It will be interesting to see how well the space is used next year. If occupancy is high, it could be the information needed to decide if a bigger hotel should be in Warren’s plans.

If occupancy is low, on the other hand, it shows those who doubted a bigger hotel’s viability in downtown may have been right all along.