First Hospitality Group and McHugh Construction held a groundbreaking ceremony last Friday for Hilton's first triple-branded hotel, across the street from McCormick Place. Scheduled to open in late 2018, the 466-room project will place a full service Hilton Garden Inn, a limited service Hampton Inn and an extended stay Home2Suites hotel all under one roof.

First Hospitality Group chairman Stephen Schwartz said there is a golden opportunity to bring selective service hotel brands to McCormick Place, a market where budget and extended stay hotels are lacking. This will appeal to business travelers, tourists and conventioneers. Schwartz expects to see good business when the hotel is delivered and is not concerned about the ongoing softening in the hotel sector.

McHugh Construction is not only the GC on the project — it is a partner with First Hospitality. McHugh senior vice president Mike Meagher said the hotel site was McHugh's HQ for 45 years. In deals such as this, the land becomes equity.

McHugh brought UJAMAA, an African-American-owned construction company, as its GC partner, and both McHugh and First Hospitality are committed to giving local residents first crack at the jobs the hotel is expected to bring to the neighborhood.

The hotel's planned amenities — including a rooftop deck, 9,500 SF of restaurant space on the 22nd floor, a Starbucks and two street-level restaurants — will contribute to the growing entertainment and nightlife options near the neighborhood the city dubbed McCormick Square.

First Hospitality is also working closely with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority as the project moves forward. One of the centerpieces of the project is a skybridge connecting the hotels to the convention center.