Holiday Inn owner John McGraw plans to build a 70-room Hampton Inn. But it won't be in downtown Warren.

McGraw addressed Warren City Council on Monday night, wanting to know why another hotel developer, Rosewell Hotels, LLC was awarded exclusive rights to develop a hotel in downtown Warren as part of Impact Warren. McGraw reminded council that he had expressed interest in building a hotel there two years ago. Only then, plans called for a 150-room hotel, which McGraw decided to wait on the time.

But because Rosewell announced Aug. 1 that it plans to build a 65-room hotel in downtown Warren, McGraw asked council, "If you are going to change your thinking, why didn't anyone say anything to me?"

Then he told city council that he had property site plans "so there will be a Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn on my site."

The hotel would be located on the southwest quadrant of his west side property, according to McGraw.

He reiterated to the Times Observer that he would have been willing to build that hotel in downtown Warren.

He also told city council that even with the building of a 65-room hotel in downtown Warren, there would still not be enough hotel capacity in the Warren area to hold a convention for 600 people at a convention facility that are also part of Impact Warren plans.

Warren Mayor Mark Phillips responded to McGraw's comments after the meeting, saying, "It's great to hear another hotel developer interested in making a hotel."

Ramesh Patel of Rosewell told city council on Aug. 1 that the decision to build a 65-room hotel was based on market conditions.

Phillips said that Rosewell presented a proposal to city council for the 65-room hotel, something McGraw never did.

He admitted having "a number of discussions with Mr. McGraw" all centering around a hotel with between 100 and 150 rooms.

He said it was Rosewell that came to the city to say "here's the basis for why we think that is too large."

Phillips contends that if McGraw had the same idea, he "could have shared that information with us."

He added that a hotel has been part of the Impact Warren project since 2002 and there was a desire not to wait any longer to find a developer.

Patel said on Aug. 1 that Rosewell, which operates 11 hotels in western New York, will attempt to attract a Hampton Inn to downtown Warren initially. If that fails, the company will try for a Comfort Inn or a Best Western. They have exclusive rights for two years to develop a hotel on Clark St. or the property will revert to the city.

McGraw was also in attendance at the Aug. 1 meeting and addressed city council about considering tax reductions for the Holiday Inn since a hotel development on Clark St. would have tax incentives.