Candlewood Suites planning $5M hotel on Bankers Avenue

The hotel chain Candlewood Suites has plans to join the string of hotels in the College Drive corridor, according to a plan review application recently filed with the city-parish Department of Public Works. The hotel is to be constructed at 5353 Bankers Ave., on the nearly 2-acre tract of land behind the Raising Cane’s at 5211 Corporate Blvd. that sold in early July for $785,000. Scott-based Mihir Enterprises owns the land and submitted the application. The building is projected to cost $5 million and cover 43,912 square feet, but the application does not include details on the total number of rooms or hotel amenities. Candlewood Suites is a branch of InterContinental Hotels Group, the parent company of both the Holiday Inn and the Crowne Plaza on Constitution Avenue. Calls made to IHG’s real estate department for additional details were not returned as of this morning’s deadline. IHG is in the midst of constructing another hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, downtown at the former Savings & Loan building at 400 North Blvd. Downtown Development District Executive Director Davis Rhorer is expected to announce another new hotel for downtown in the coming weeks to help the city reach its goal of having 1,000 hotel rooms downtown. —Kelly Connelly