The Kinseth Hospitality Companies will open a new Hilton Garden Inn in Iowa City in the future.

The hotel will be located at 328 S. Clinton St., featuring a rooftop restaurant and an outdoor patio. The groundbreaking ceremony will occur on Dec. 22. The site is south of the mixed-use future home of the UI Museum of Art.

Emily Kucera, a Kinseth creative marketing specialist, said it has been a long time coming and the company is excited about the announcement. Kinseth is also responsible for the Twelve01 Kitchen and Tap in Coralville.

“City officials and owners will be at the site with be there with hard hats and shovels in celebration of the news,” Kucera said.

Wendy Ford, the Iowa City economic-development coordinator, has worked with the Kinseth team on the project for quite some time.

“The idea was presented to us approximately four years ago,” Ford said. “We are breaking down shortly, and it will take about a year and a half to construct. Kinseth had already owned the land, so it was just a matter of what was going to be done.”

Ford saw some extreme economic benefits that could be tied to the new building.

“The more hotels in downtown Iowa City draw more overnight visitors,” she said. “They eat out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The economic benefits that we receive from visitors are substantial. Add the pool of availability of hotels in Iowa City, there is a higher possibility of hosting meetings and events.”