McKinney city leaders mark milestone of new Sheraton McKinney Hotel with topping out ceremony
By Katherine Long, The Margulies Communications Group
Apr 5, 2014
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Stamford, Conn. and McKinney, Texas– April 4, 2014 – McKinney city leaders and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today marked a milestone in the development of the new Sheraton McKinney Hotel. City leaders and subcontractors celebrated with a topping out luncheon.

“We are thrilled to have reached this milestone,” said McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller. “The topping out ceremony gives us a way to celebrate the progress we’ve made toward completion of the project. The contractors and subcontractors have worked hard and we want to recognize them for the work they’ve done.”

The City of McKinney and the McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) teamed up with Champ/Beck Development to build the $38 million Sheraton McKinney Hotel at the corner of Highway 75 and the Sam Rayburn Tollway. The 186-room Sheraton will be McKinney’s first upscale, full-service hotel and will be connected to a 20,000 square-foot event center; both slated to open in February 2015.

Sheraton McKinney Hotel will feature the brand’s signature Link@SheratonSM experience with Microsoft® – a relaxed space with complimentary wireless broadband where guests can socialize and connect with friends, both old and new. In addition, the hotel will offer a full-service restaurant and lounge, Sheraton Club Lounge, and a fitness facility featuring the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness® by Core Performance™. All guestrooms and suites will be outfitted with the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed, designed to meet AAA’s Five Diamond Award® criteria, as well as an oversized work desk, ergonomic chair, high-speed Internet, and LCD flat panel television.

The hotel is being developed by Champ/Beck Development as a joint venture between Champ Hospitality and The Beck Group which brings together Champ Hospitality's 30 years of hospitality experience and Beck's reputation as a leading designer and builder in the Dallas area for the past 100 years.

“We are pleased to celebrate this phase of the project,” said Joseph H. Champ, Champ Hospitality president. “The Sheraton McKinney will be an important landmark at the gateway to the City and will continue to enhance the reputation of the City as a great place to live, work and visit.”

Funding for the project includes funds from the City of McKinney, McKinney Community Development Corporation, private equity and bank financing. The City of McKinney will pay for the cost of the conference center, which the City will own once it is open.

The City of McKinney has been recognized by Realtor.com as the second most-searched-for places to live. In addition, CNN Money named the city the second best place to live in the nation, citing plenty of housing options; low taxes; abundant job opportunities in technology, energy and medicine; as well as a new conference center and hotel complex in the works. The Realtor site Movoto.com also named McKinney the second best place to live in the country among mid-sized cities. Sheraton McKinney Hotel will offer convenient access to the Ball Fields at Craig Ranch, Southfork Ranch, and the offices of Collin College, Emerson Process Management, Encore Wire, McKinney Corporate Center at Craig Ranch, Medical Center of McKinney and Raytheon SAS.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,162 properties in nearly 100 countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and Element®. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest(R) (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

About the McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

MEDC was created in 1993 to support the development, expansion and relocation of new and existing companies. The MEDC is an organization with a mission to work to create an environment in which community-oriented businesses can thrive. The MEDC is actively pursuing investments in; Aeronautics /Aviation; Corporate headquarters; Emerging technology; Healthcare and Medical Device Manufacturing; Professional services; Renewable energy. www.mckinneyedc.com

About The McKinney Community Development Corporation

The McKinney Community Development Corporation is an organization with a mission to promote and preserve the quality of life in McKinney. It was established in 1996 when McKinney voters approved a one-half cent sales tax to be used to enhance McKinney's aesthetic, cultural and leisure amenities. www.mckinneycdc.org

About Champ Hospitality

Founded in 2006, Champ Hospitality, LP is a full-service hospitality development and consulting company utilizing the extensive experience of our principals in all facets of hotel and resort development, branding and management. www.champhospitality.com

About The Beck Group

Founded in 1912, The Beck Group offers a full spectrum of real estate services including development, planning, architecture, interior design, construction and sustainability consulting. The company, headquartered in Dallas, maintains a team of over 500 employees, working among offices in Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Fort Worth, Mexico City, San Antonio and Tampa. www.beckgroup.com

(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.) The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. This press release contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners. None of the owners of these trademarks has any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this press release.