New hotel planned near Dolphin Mall

Another major hotel chain will be calling Sweetwater home, targeting Dolphin Mall shoppers and visitors.

A dual-branded Hilton hotel, which will include the Hilton Garden and Homewood Suites, will be constructed at the southeast corner of Northwest 17th Street and 111th Avenue. There will be two towers, with the Homewood Suites having 100 rooms and the Hilton Garden having 132.

The building will be 11 stories high.

City commissioners heard a presentation about the hotel at their meeting Monday night.

The CEO of Procacci Development Corp., Philip Procacci, says the location is prime.

“Being across the street of the Dolphin Mall is one of the best locations in Miami-Dade County,” he said. “I think we are going to do very well.”

Construction is expected to start in September.

Sweetwater already has another hotel located on the Dolphin Mall area, a Marriott Courtyard at 11275 NW 12th St.

Mayor Jose Diaz says the new hotel will launch the city to a new level.

“The Hilton is going to be iconic,” he said after the meeting. “We welcome it with great pride. We are moving forward.”

Lawyer Stanley Price said there is a high demand for rooms in the area and it will be a major asset to the community.

“Dolphin Mall is a major tourist attraction for people of Central and South America,” he said. “More dollars are captured by the ability of staying in the area for a longer period of time. Many people fly in and out the same day. We now have given them an opportunity to stay.”

The hotel is expected to be complete late in the fall of 2015.