Land clearing continues at the construction site for the $42 million future hotel and conference center in Marble Falls, adjacent to Lakeside Park at the 300 block of Buena Vista Drive. The new Ophelia Hotel and Conference Center will be named to honor Ophelia “Birdie” Harwood, the first female mayor of Texas, elected in 1917 before women had the right to vote.
The project near the Lake Marble Falls shoreline will feature an upscale 127-room Tapestry Collection by Hilton Hotel, also more than 14,000 square feet of event and meeting space, including a main ballroom and junior ballroom.
Boerne-based Phoenix Hospitality Group and McAllen-based Castle Hospitality are teamed up to conduct the work under a corporate umbrella called the Marble Falls Hotel Group that will own and operate the property.
The Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation set the project in motion during 2013, by brokering a private-public partnership. As the project proceeds, the EDC will secure critical infrastructure requirements to support the construction, including gas line relocations, sidewalk, water and wastewater improvements, the primary electrical extension, the repaving of Main Street near the project and other provisions.
Moreover, during its May 7 meeting last month, the EDC board of directors hired an experienced contractor to observe work activities at the site, to ensure labor there conforms to city, state and federal standards.
Plus, as it would do for any Marble Falls construction project, the city development services department plans to monitor the site, to make sure actions there adhere to all applicable laws.
