Developer proposes new hotel, brew pub for historic Hawks building in Goshen

Developer proposes new hotel, brew pub for historic Hawks building in Goshen

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J. Tyler Klassen/The Elkhart Truth
The Goshen Redevelopment Commission heard from a developer Tuesday evening, June 10, that wants to add a 25-room boutique hotel and pub to the historic Hawks building owned by LaCasa Inc.

By Angelle Barbazon of the Elkhart Truth

GOSHEN — Artists moving into the historic Hawks building next year could have a unique hotel and a new brew pub as neighbors if all goes according to plan for one developer.

Hawks 1886 LLC wants to buy the north part of the Hawks building at 215 W. Madison St. to open a new hotel and brew pub, architect Shane Dyer told the Goshen Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday, June 10.LaCasa Inc. owns the building and broke ground in April to transform the south side of the three-story building into 35 live-work loft apartments for artists and entrepreneurs.

Hawks 1886 wants to invest about $3.8 million for construction of the Artifax Hotel and Hydraulic Ale House. If approved, the first floor on the north side of the building would include a brew pub with an outdoor patio and indoor seating where customers can eat and drink. The hotel would cover the second and third floors with 25 rooms. Dyer describes Artifax as a “boutique hotel.”

“We’re not a franchise, we’re more service-oriented and every room is different,” he said. “It’s not a cookie cutter, vanilla box. Locations of boutique hotels are usually in more urban settings or downtown.”

Dyer said the hotel would collaborate with local artists for galleries and offer art retreat packages for guests.

Goshen mayor Allan Kauffman spoke in support of the project.

“I’m pretty excited about this,” he said. “There’s a lot of buzz going on because of the kind of things going on in Goshen, and it’s not just buzz in Elkhart or South Bend. There are people all over the state talking about what’s happening in Goshen and why it’s happening in Goshen.”

Members of the redevelopment commission decided to postpone a vote on Hawks 1886’s request for incentives, including a 10-year tax abatement, to have more time to review the developer’s plans, financial commitments and parking issues. The commission plans to schedule a special meeting to discuss the project.

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