The Research Park:I Hotel/Restaurant/Conference Center Overview The new Hotel/Restaurant/Conference Center will be positioned on the corner of St. Mary’s Road and First Street, directly south of the University of Illinois Assembly Hall. To view the current construction progress as of 11/21/07, click here.   The hotel and restaurant will be privately developed and owned by Fox/Atkins Development, LLC, and the conference center will be constructed and owned by the University of Illinois. Each entity will have its own separate entrance and dedicated parking, with a total of 450 parking spaces.  I Hotel / Houlihan's RestaurantThe hotel will be constructed and maintained to AAA Four Diamond Rating guidelines featuring an upscale, well-appointed design with a fireplace and conversational groupings in the lobby, a fully-equipped fitness room and direct connection to the conference center. It will be a five-story, 126-room hotel, and the site will allow for future expansion of 80 to 100 additional hotel rooms. The hotel will feature standard amenities in each guest room including high-speed wireless internet connections, satellite and flat-screen televisions, and two two-bay suites, for VIP guests to the campus and community. Nationally known Houlihan’s Restaurant, the 200-seat, full-service restaurant will be designed to emulate the quality represented in both the hotel and conference center, serving a broad menu at prices reflective of the local market. The restaurant will be an amenity for hotel guests, conference attendees, and the local community, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Private dining will also be available. To learn more and make reservations, please visit the I Hotel and Conference Center web site at StayAtTheI.com. Tours of the model room are also available, contact us at info@StayAtTheI.com for more information. Scheduled to open August 2008  Conference CenterThe 38,000 square foot conference center will have a 7,000 square foot ballroom that will enable banquet seating of 500 – 550, breakout rooms, board room, and pre-function area. The conference center will follow International Association of Conference Center (IACC) standards as jointly decided upon by the University, operator, and developer to ensure a high-quality experience by conference attendees.   |