As construction equipment rumbled in the background, developers and local leaders celebrated Thursday’s groundbreaking for the new AC by Marriott hotel in Kingston Yard as the latest chapter in the ongoing renaissance of the west-side Cedar Rapids neighborhood.
“If you think back to 2008 after the floods, this was just empty land that was owned by the city,” said Nate Kaeding of Gold Cap Hospitality, who partnered with Matt Swift and Joe Ahmann to help bring the First and First West development at Kingston Yard to life. “And then in 2019 the city put out an RFP for the property, and at the heart of it was a destination development. As developers, we really need and want to respond to what the city and the community wants from this piece of property. And we set out, Matt with Big Grove and Graig Cone with Pickle Palace, really anchored this development. This is a true live, work, play development … it’s just amazing to see it all come together. And of course, the hotel is really the last piece of the puzzle, a big piece, probably the crowning jewel of what we have here, and the first hotel built in decades in downtown Cedar Rapids.”
The last hotel built downtown was the current DoubleTree Hotel at 350 First Ave. NE, which opened as the Stuffer’s Five Seasons Hotel in 1979.
Leaders say the 123-room AC by Marriott Hotel, being developed by Kinseth Hospitality of Coralville, will help offset the loss of the Best Western Cooper’s Mill hotel from the 2008 flood, and will also bring more lodging capacity for the downtown Convention Center.
The new hotel will feature a mix of standard guest rooms and suites, a large boutique lobby, bar, breakfast area and library, 2,300 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor firepit area, exercise room and patio. It’s located at 150 Second Ave. SW, between the $20 million Kingston Yard parking ramp now under construction and the Big Grove Brewery.
Post-flood, the two-block Kingston Yard property was originally envisioned as a possible home for a new Cedar Rapids casino, but after state regulators turned down Cedar Rapids casino proposals in 2014 and 2017, leaders changed course and opened the site for development proposals.
Ben Kinseth, vice president of Kinseth Hospitality, said plans for the new AC by Marriott Hotel in Cedar Rapids have been in the works for nearly four years.
“We develop hotels and try to find the perfect locations,” Mr. Kinseth said. “Of course, this really has become the perfect location. It’s taken a little bit of skill, but of course, it takes a little bit of luck sometimes, and we’ve come a long ways.”
City Council member and mayor pro tem Ann Poe said the burgeoning Kingston Yard development has “helped shape a neighborhood that is more walkable, connected and vibrant, boosting quality of life, especially here on our west side. The new AC Hotel by Marriott will strengthen our tourism office’s ability to bring conferences and events to Cedar Rapids.”
“It’s meaningful to see how far we’ve come in bringing the vision for First and First West to life,” she added. “For nearly two decades, the city worked to revitalize this important neighborhood, especially after the flood of 2008. Community resilience and engagement, plus the momentum from our city team, my council colleagues, current and past, and the development group brought us to this point. Today marks the start of the final phase in the two-block project on this side of First Avenue. And we’re not stopping here. Even more is planned across the avenue in years ahead.”
Ron Corbett, vice president of economic development for the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, noted that Kinseth Hospitality has a long history of developing pivotal projects in Cedar Rapids, starting with Westdale Mall in the 1970s.
“You wonder how important are these projects?” Mr. Corbett asked. “Remember, all this land at one point in time was collecting zero in tax revenue, and now millions of dollars have been invested and taxes are collected that eases the burden on businesses and homeowners in this community.”
The new hotel is slated to open in late 2026.
