John Q. Hammons to Build Luxury Embassy Suites(R) Hotel and Conference Center in Olathe, Kansas, near Kansas City
	New Multi-million Dollar Development Marks Fourth for Hammons in Kansas City Metropolitan Area
At the Olathe City Council meeting this evening, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts publicly announced Mr. John Q. Hammons' plans to build a luxury Embassy Suites(R) Hotel and adjacent conference center at the northwest corner of the expanding Corporate Ridge office park in Olathe, Kansas. The 11-story, 315-suite hotel and conference center, representing 80,000 gross square feet of meeting space, will be owned by Mr. Hammons and be managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, the nation's leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites. The hotel and conference center development agreement is scheduled for Council vote at the City Council meeting tonight. With approval of the development ordinance, construction on the multi-million dollar project is expected to begin in the fall of 2008, with an opening slated for spring of 2010. Located at K-10 and Ridgeview Road in Olathe, the land site of the future hotel and conference center is owned by Opus Northwest, L.L.C., which also owns and develops the Corporate Ridge development. The 200-acre office park on the K-10 Corridor houses headquarters of Terracon Consultants, Inc. and The National Board for Respiratory Care in addition to major tenants such as Garmin and Farmers Group, Inc. Story continues below ↓ Advertisement The Embassy Suites Hotel and conference center in Olathe will feature a signature John Q. Hammons custom design and will be Mr. Hammons' fourth development in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. His other Kansas City properties include the 236-suite Embassy Suites Hotel Kansas City - International Airport, 116-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton Kansas City International Airport, and 152-suite Residence Inn Kansas City International Airport. 'As one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, Olathe has a long-term vibrancy I can appreciate. It is predicted that more than 100 companies will relocate to the general Olathe area in the next five to 10 years,' said Mr. Hammons, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts. 'I plan to build a luxury hotel facility with flexible, advanced meeting accommodations that will rival anything in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and I anticipate a positive outcome with the Council's vote,' Hammons said. Mr. Hammons noted Olathe's proximity to the significantly improved I-70, I-35, I-29, I-435 and K-10 as a major draw for relocating businesses and hotel and meeting guests. In addition to being accessible to major employers, local entertainment and attractions, such as the Kansas Speedway and new Bass Pro Shop in Olathe, the new hotel and conference center will be conveniently located near the bioscience-focused K-State campus currently being built. It is also near the New Century AirCenter and the area's six college/university/vo-tech institutions, such as University of Kansas, Kansas University Edwards Campus, and Johnson County Community College, comprising a combined student population of more than 60,000.