AUBURN – Another hotel developer is eyeing a downtown development project – this time along the western edge of Great Falls Plaza.

City councilors on Monday are scheduled to discuss a parking agreement with the Mullaney Hospitality Group of Sayville, N.Y., that would allow them to proceed with a hotel development.

“This is really the start of the process, not an announcement that it will be built,” said Roland Miller, Auburn’s economic development director. “We’ve been approached by a developer that needs parking so they can submit a plan for financing. Then, if they get financing, they can submit for a franchise agreement.”

Miller said the new hotel, possibly part of the Hilton brand, would be built on the northeastern corner of Turner Street and Great Falls Plaza, across from the Platz office building, the YMCA and the Auburn Novelties building. The new development would be built east to west, along Great Falls Plaza.

William Mullaney, executive vice president of the development group, declined to comment when contacted Friday.

According to the agreement, the city would lease 110 parking spaces to the developers for a monthly rate of $30 per space. The value of the development is estimated at $10 million to $12 million.

“My understanding is, it won’t have conference space or a restaurant,” Miller said.

Monday’s City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Auburn Hall.

The parking agreement is similar to one the city inked with the Hilton Garden Inn in 2001 and could spur work on a long-awaited Great Falls Plaza parking garage. The city created a Tax Increment Finance district there to pay for the parking garage.

“The garage has been authorized, but we need more development in that area to increase the value in the TIF district and cover the garage’s debt service,” Miller said. “A development like this could be just the thing to move us forward.”

It would be the third hotel developer to eye the Twin Cities. Winston Hotels and Ocean Properties hope to build Marriott Courtyard Hotels in Lewiston-Auburn.

Winston hopes to build its Marriott in Lewiston’s Island Point development, just off Main Street below the Great Falls. Ocean Properties hopes to build its Marriott in the Auburn Mall area. Both developers are expecting the Marriott Corp. to announce which site will get the development in the next couple of weeks.

Miller said the Mullaney development shows that Lewiston-Auburn’s fortunes have changed.

“Just a few years ago, we were marketing ourselves to developers, trying to get them interested,” he said. “Now, I receive regular phone calls from hotels and developer groups from all across the country interested in developing something here. This group is one of many we’ve talked to. They just happen to be the first ones to get this close to the finish line.”