PHOENIX—Best Western Hotels & Resorts has broken ground on the Chicago Vib at Midway Airport.
Best Western president and CEO David Kong was joined by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael Madigan, Ward 13 Alderman Marty Quinn and Vib developer Amit Patel at Tuesday’s ground breaking ceremony for the hotel.
“I am thrilled to be in Chicago breaking ground on Best Western’s exciting new boutique concept— Vib. The Chicago hotel market is a perfect setting for this high energy, chic, urban hotel and will provide a contemporary hotel offering for today’s traveler,” stated Kong.
The $8 million Chicago Vib hotel project will create approximately 70 construction jobs, and more than 22 permanent jobs, according to the company.
“Midway Airport is a vital economic engine for Chicago and this new hotel will enable it to meet its growing passenger traffic so it can continue to drive job creation and economic growth for our entire city,” stated Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I want to thank Best Western and developer Mr. Patel for making this investment, which represents a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of Midway and the economic future of the entire City of Chicago.”
The Chicago Vib is being developed on Cicero Avenue across from the upscale, high traffic Midway Hotel Complex, in the Chicago/Midway International Airport market, by entrepreneurs Balkrishna Patel and his sons Parth and Amit.
With the unique size and shape of the site, this will be a very visible gateway three-story, 74 room hotel, according to the company.
In addition to the Chicago Vib, Best Western Hotels & Resorts has Vib projects under development in Miami, Los Angeles, Staten Island, NY, Springfield, MO, Little Rock, AK, Seoul, South Korea, and Vientiane, Laos and is actively negotiating deals in key U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, New Orleans, Scottsdale and San Diego.