Zeller Construction President Chris Schaber said his company will soon turn the first shovel of dirt on a three-story, 66-room Country Inn & Suites hotel near The Hill subdivision. Projected completion date is set for this fall.

Toward that end, Zeller hired Mathis and Sons, Inc. of Du Quoin to demolish the north building or back end of America’s Best Inns Monday. It is located just off Halfway Road and immediately south of 17th Street Bar & Grill. The south end of the existing hotel will remain open to customers.

“Our company bought the north end of the property,” Schaber said. “We’re very excited about this opportunity. People will have easy access to our hotel because of the new exit ramp off Interstate 57 that is being built.”

The new Marion project will be Zeller’s second entry into the hospitality industry. In June 2006, the company opened the 59-room Fairgrounds Inn that it built in Du Quoin next to the state fairground.

Jim Zeller, who along with his wife, Kellie, owns the construction firm, said plans for the Marion hotel include a second phase of 40 or more rooms to be built in 2009 if needed. DART Design of Marion is the architectural firm handling the design. Zeller Construction will oversee the building phase.

The Country Inn & Suites hotel chain is owned by Carlson and can be found on the Web at www.countryinns.com. As a leader in the mid-scale hotel segment, Country Inns & Suites feature residential architecture and home-like interior design with highlights that include hardwood flooring, lobby fireplace and front porch.

“We hope to pour the footings the week after next. I want to be open no later than the middle of October,” Jim Zeller said.

The new hotel will include a pool, hot tub, continental breakfast, a small conference room as well as an exercise room.