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Lake City's Blanche Hotel: IDP's Decker Gives City Council an Upbeat Construction Update

Old time rendering of Lake City's BLanche Hotel with headline: last 90 days of construction

Dennille Decker explains floor plans to City Council
IDP's Dennille Decker, the project ambassador, addresses the City Council.

LAKE CITY, FL – IDP's Dennille Decker came to the microphone last night to give the City Council and the attending public an update on the $15 mil Blanche reconstruction. Long a controversial project and the hallmark of former City Manager Wendell Johnson's career, in about 90 days everyone, will know if City Manager Johnson's vision will pay off.

Ms. Decker came to the microphone and addressed the Council: "I met with Mr. Helfenberger last week and we thought it might be a good time to update everybody on the status. We are in our last 90 days of construction... They tell us that we are on schedule for an early May opening."

Ms. Decker continued, "I gave the council a layout of the first, second, and third floor. You can see a visual update on where we are with pre-leasing."

Link to Blanche 1st floor with least space in yellow"Things are going really well. All the yellow spaces are spaces that we've gotten pre-leased. Considering the current status of the building, I feel really favorable about this. I think it speaks really well to the popularity of the project now that it's moved forward... We are looking forward to having this as an asset in the community."

Weddings are being booked

Link to 2nd floor with leased space in yellowMs. Decker said, "One area of revenue for us, as well as the City is the events space. That is where the City will get a lot of their reimbursement back from their part of the project. That will be the wedding space, which you see on the first floor."

"We already have two brides that booked."

Blanche 3d floor with leased space in yellowMs. Decker added, "The short term rentals have really done well. I believe it is the weekend of June 20th, we've already got 8 of our 14 short term rentals booked up."

Ms. Decker asked if there were any questions. There were no questions

Mayor Witt wrapped it up for the City Council, "I appreciate it. It sounds very good."

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