RUMFORD — More than 60 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning for a 63-room Best Western Plus Inn and Suites at 50 Prospect Ave.

“We’ve waited three and a half years for this day,” said Tony Carter, president of Pennacook Falls Investments Ltd., which is composed of the personal investments of 29 local shareholders.

“So here we are. It’s a community effort that had a vision that this is what we needed in the town of Rumford, in the River Valley, in order to be a catalyst to bring future businesses to town,” he said.

The facility, projected to open in 2020, is expected to serve business travelers and tourists taking advantage of the region’s diverse outdoor recreation opportunities,
Carter said. “We’re hoping in the next week that we’ll be moving dirt around, and we have a meeting with the concrete contractor after this.”

He said the project got its start when Jim Rinaldo approached Carter and presented the idea for building a hotel. However, Rinaldo said the idea for a hotel actually went back to 2011.

Now retired, he was then the volunteer economic developer for Rumford. He is now one of the 29 local investors in the project.

After rejection calls from other branded hotel representatives, Rinaldo initiated a phone call to Jack Barry, who at that time was the regional director of development for Best Western.

Barry said, “I came right up. I’d been here before. I’m from a similar town, Webster, Massachusetts. I understand all the positive things that a hotel like this can do.”

State Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Dixfield, said the hotel will be the only branded hotel in the Rumford area.

“Previously, guests would have to travel an additional 25 or 30 miles to reach a similar establishment,” she said.

Christopher Brennick, chairman of the Rumford Board of Selectmen, said the project represents “the hard work and community spirit that has always been the hallmark of the people here in Rumford, coming together to get big things done, to make our community a better place.”

Both Keim and Brennick said the word “perseverance” was the perfect word to describe this effort.

“Every time there was a hurdle, Tony (Carter) would say, ‘This is going to get built,'” Brennick said.

The investment group is working with hotel builder Tom Lund of Lund Inn Construction, who has built 15 hotels, including five with the Best Western flag. Melan Hotel Group, based in New Hampshire, is the hospitality management company for the property, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel.

Rinaldo said that in discussions with the Rumford Polar Bears Snowmobile Club, “They’ve already agreed to build a snowmobile trail right to our backyard.”

Representatives of U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden also attended.

Originally, the plan called for a four-story hotel, but Carter said that after meeting with the builder, a three-story facility proved to be more economical.

“With three stories, we do not need a second elevator, a savings of $200,000,” he said.

Carter said fire protection is also different with three stories. “With four stories, you need 3 inches of Sheetrock, and only an inch and a half with three stories.”

The savings is about $1.5 million, reducing the overall cost to about $5.5 million.

Among the amenities are:
• 63 guest rooms, including 12 suites;
• Indoor pool and hot tub;
• Fitness room;
• Meeting room; and
• Complimentary breakfast.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net