The Village of Oregon, Wisconsin had been trying to attract a hotel to serve its growing community for more than a decade. At the end of December 2017, Adam Coyle and S&L Hospitality brokered a development deal to create a new 66-room Sleep Inn & Suites at 1120 Park Street, just a block from the Highway 14/138 Interchange on the Village's southeast corner.

In addition to the 60 regular guest rooms, the project included six extended-stay suites, a large meeting and event space, an indoor pool with an indoor/outdoor swim-through hot tub, a 24-hour business center, and a fitness center. When the project was finally approved by the Oregon Village Board in late December, it created an "all hands on deck" situation, as part of the development agreement called for the new hotel to be substantially complete by the end of 2018. 

The project team of architects at Dimension IV, Friede & Associates, S&L Hospitality, and Adam Coyle began meeting immediately to finalize building plans and budgets. Paramount in this effort was trying to find both cost-effective and energy-efficient construction products, while still meeting and exceeding the Choice Hotel brand standards for this Sleep Inn location. Extensive value-engineering was undertaken both to reduce the initial budgets, but also to identify products that were more readily available and didn't possess extended delivery schedules.

The Friede team also worked with Choice Hotel’s corporate pre-selected mechanical team and S&L Hospitality to identify fixtures that would provide the look, feel and durability they were looking for in a hotel that would serve not only local businesses but also cater to the wedding venues and nearby sports complexes that host tournaments throughout the year. 

Construction drawings were substantially completed by March 2018 and corporate approval was issued shortly thereafter allowing Friede & Associates to begin excavation in early April. Unfortunately, record-breaking rains pummeled the site and caused extensive delays in both finishing the earthwork and with the installation of footings and foundations. Ultimately, the concrete work began the first week of May, nearly a month behind original schedules.

During an initial pre-construction meeting with Choice Hotel's project manager in April, we were told that it typically takes twelve months from the first concrete placement on a project to the completed hotel opening for business. Undaunted, our project team worked to expedite and stack the schedule for the building trades and worked closely with Hartje Lumber and Shaw Builders to design, construct and install the panelized wall system. 

To expedite the construction, the wall sections were panelized off-site to allow for quicker installation once the concrete slabs were installed. Hartje Lumber collaborated with Dimension IV to design and construct the wall panels and interior walls that were installed by Shaw Builders’ crews by early summer, allowing the building to be closed in by the end of summer and for both mechanical trades and drywall crews to begin the extensive interior finishes. 

One of the unique features of this hotel is the indoor and outdoor hot tub. The actual construction required extensive coordination between most of the subcontractors and the ongoing operation required additional fresh air and mechanical control to provide a comfortable interior environment. Nearly every major subcontractor on the project utilized multiple crews since the process of finishing the building consisted of working separate schedules for each of the building's three floors, with the main floor being completed first, then the second floor, the third floor, and finally the pool area. 

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Coordinating dozens of subcontractors on a relatively tight site and with a very short timetable resulted in separate weekly progress meetings for the Friede team and their subcontractors. Weekly meetings with the owners and operators were also held to coordinate the extensive owner-supplied furniture, fixtures, and equipment that a 66-unit hotel requires.

And as we've come to expect over the last few years, as everyone in the construction industry has gotten busy, material delays have now unfortunately become part of our everyday life. Unfortunately, this project was no exception. The building elevator, which was originally ordered in the spring and scheduled to be completed in October, was not installed until after the building opened in December. This meant that only the first floor rooms could be rented for the first few weeks the building was open to the public. 

Though the process was challenging and the schedule was tight. In the end, the wood-framed building took just eight months to complete. The results are certainly worth it, as the beautiful new hotel has quickly become the go-to place for meetings, birthday celebrations and for the families and wedding guests that hold their celebrations at the nearby Legend at Bergamont Golf Course. Sports teams that utilize Oregon's Ice Rink, located just a couple blocks from the hotel or that compete in the adjacent communities of Stoughton or Verona also have quickly become loyal guests.

Since opening, the Oregon Sleep Inn & Suites has also become a great location for guests of EPIC in Verona, for thousands of people attending the World Dairy Expo in October, and anyone attending the University of Wisconsin football games from out of town. The Friede & Associates team is thrilled to have helped the Village of Oregon secure their much-needed Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel. 

We are proud to report that in February, ABC of Wisconsin awarded Friede & Associates the Gold Award for the Sleep In & Suites project in the category General Contractor, Commercial Construction, $2 Million to $10 Million.

About Friede & Associates:

When you select Friede & Associates, you are buying more than our quality-assured construction services. You also get the performance and reliability of some of the top suppliers and subcontractors in the area. While other contractors may be cutting quality to remain competitive on price, Friede is forging relationships with members of the project team to bring you the best value and highest quality for your investment.