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Ground has now officially been broken on the new Marriott Element hotel, located next to Chason Park, on the corner of Florida Street and Calhoun Street/Dothan Road. The project has been in development for some time, having run into several setbacks, mainly involving the Army Corps of Engineers and transferring ownership of the property.

Now, with everything in order, and the land having since been cleared, construction will begin next week. According to Jeremy Emmett, chief operating officer of Southern Lodging LLC, construction should be completed by late 2025-early 2026. Emmett and Southern Lodging own and operate the Courtyard hotel in Thomasville.

Members of the local government spoke at the ceremony, including Mayor Edward Reynolds and DDA Director Amanda Glover, with City Councilman Kregg Close delivering the prayer.

When complete, the hotel will be four stories tall and contain 100 rooms, with both ground-level parking and a parking structure below the hotel.

“We’re just proud to be a part of Bainbridge’s downtown and the growth,” Emmett said.