GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – Greenville will soon see lots of construction in the uptown area.

Four possible hotel projects have been announced for the city. There are plans to redevelop the old Ficklen Tobacco Warehouse off of Dickinson Avenue.

Also near Dickinson Avenue, a hotel will be built where the former Imperial Tobacco Warehouse is located on Atlantic Avenue. A Hilton Garden Inn will be built in the hammock lot off of Evans Street. ECU has plans for a hotel to be constructed in one of its existing parking lots. That hotel is still in the planning stages.

Mayor P.J. Connelly says this is exactly what Greenville needs.

“I think the people should feel really good about the direction that we’re heading in Greenville,” he said. “For years, we’ve been focusing on trying to bring more entertainment, more options down to our uptown/downtown area.”

Some of the plans include breaking ground as early as this spring, with plans to be open by fall of 2022. Connelly says these plans are the culmination of many people’s efforts to develop uptown.

“When people come and visit our community, we want to be able to show off everything that we have here in the city,” said Connelly. “I think this is going to be a great opportunity for them to be at the heart of our community.”

Connelly thinks the hotels will bring more tourism and industry to the area.

“Some of the businesses will be able to have more people walking up and down the sidewalks,” he said. “Being able to utilize the restaurants and some of the retail locations that may have been hit pretty hard during the pandemic.”

Connelly says for years, people have been asking for a hotel in uptown. Now, there will be several.