The construction of a new 120-room hotel, branded as Towneplace Suites and Fairfield Inn by Marriott, will soon get underway in DeKalb.

DeKalb community leaders gathered Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the occasion at 902 Peace Road.

The event, which featured some public remarks, refreshments and photo opportunities, saw several elected officials in attendance, including DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes, DeKalb Alderwoman Barb Larson, and State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore.

In his public remarks, Pramit Patel, who will run and operate the new hotel, said he’s excited to bring the first Marriott-branded hotel to DeKalb.

“DeKalb’s seen an unprecedented amount of growth in the last five to six years,” Patel said. “Directly four miles down on Peace Road is a new home to Meta’s Data Center, Kraft Foods, Ferrara Candy Company, Amazon, and probably more on the horizon. With this new growth, there’s been a new demand for quality rooms. I can’t think of a better brand to bring to DeKalb than Marriott.”

Construction of the hotel is expected to begin in early September.

The 2.5-acre property sits vacant and is situated between the Bumper to Bumper auto parts store and the Fast Stop Express gas station along the east side of Peace Road, north of Pleasant Street, city documents show.

Upon completion, the hotel will make for the city’s third in town.

Cortney Strohaker, executive director at the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it meant a lot to her organization to see shovels in the ground.

“We at the CVV run into [events] all the time that we could bring here, but we can’t because we don’t have enough hotel rooms, even countywide, let alone DeKalb. The more hotels that we have, the more things that we can bring in. And to have it right here by the airport is fantastic. It’s a great location.”

In an interview, Patel said he is committed to plans for constructing the hotel in DeKalb.

Project leaders said they are investing about $23 million into the build.

“I went to school here,” Patel said. “I’m an NIU alumni. To be able to come back to where I had the best times of my life and give back to the community, it means a lot.”

A potential tax-sharing agreement between project leaders and the city remains in the works. At Monday’s council meeting, city leaders expressed initial support for a deal. An ordinance will be brought before the City Council for consideration at a later date.

Melissa Amedeo, executive director at the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, said seeing the development of the hotel move closer to reality is a big deal.

“It’s huge what they’ll bring for growth,” Amedeo said. “It also will help some of the growth that we’ve already seen.”

Patel said he has long embraced the importance of hospitality, going back to his days at Northern Illinois University.

“I strive to bring that type of hospitality to all of my hotels in DeKalb,” Patel said. “When visitors come to stay here, they come knowing that this is their home away from home. And they get to enjoy what DeKalb has to offer.”

Strohaker said the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau knows the community has been dealt a “huge economic loss” because of hotel room availability in the past.

“There’s a formula that you can actually figure it out,” Strohaker said. “It’s like $44 a person, and then every person after that. Because they’re spending money not only at the hotel but in gas and at the restaurants, and then hopefully at the shops. Maybe even catching a show. ... It’s a huge economic loss.”

Still, Strohaker expressed optimism for the community’s future.

“I know that is a big investment, but I think that they’re going to see that it was well worth it,” she said.