Ahead of schedule and under budget, EKN’s third and fourth hotels open in Rochester, Minnesota.
EKN Development Group, in conjunction with our partners, Napean Capital and Western States Lodging, is proud to announce the official opening of our EVEN Hotel and Staybridge Suites in Rochester, Minnesota. Constructed during the COVID pandemic, the 250-key, dual-branded hotel finished ahead of schedule and under budget thanks to the trusted leadership and expertise of the joint development team and our design and construction partners at FFKR Architects and Weis Construction.
The team’s collective expertise was invaluable in the quick and effective execution of this project under remarkable circumstances. The result has exceeded expectations: “Our successful opening of the EVEN Hotel and Staybridge at the St. Mary’s campus of Mayo Clinic is a true testament to EKN’s core culture and expertise,” explains Ebbie K. Nakhjavani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at EKN Development Group. “We identified the perfect property and built consensus with the landowners, the Nelson family, and the Kutzky neighborhood community to create a project that bolsters a beautiful, well suited building that will provide an enduring and welcomed amenity in the community where so many before us had failed. The project was completed under budget and ahead of schedule. These are two statements one rarely hears on a $60 million project, yet we got it done in the middle of COVID, and in the Minnesota climate. My deepest gratitude to an unprecedented, stellar team!”
Located at 101 11th Avenue SW, the EVEN and Staybridge is directly across from St. Mary’s Hospital, home to the Mayo Clinic’s primary surgical center and pediatric care facilities. The hotel provides extended-stay lodging in a high-design setting and will quickly become the preferred accommodations for St. Mary’s patients and their family and friends.
The EVEN and Staybridge will also provide convenient lodging to a growing number of medical and bio-technology researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs as the Destination Medical Center Initiative, the largest public-private economic initiative in Minnesota, continues to drive the rapid expansion of Mayo Clinic and associated incubator medical, bio-technology, and technology startup activities in the area.
Rochester’s newest home away from home, the Staybridge, features 116 studio, one, and two bedroom suites with full kitchens, on-site guest laundry facilities, and secured parking. The 132-key EVEN hotel, dedicated to health and wellness, provides complimentary workout equipment in rooms to encourage guests to stay active! Guests can dine on healthy entrees and organic alcohol at Cork & Kale, workout in the spacious fitness studio, or stroll through the courtyard gardens equipped with grills, pergolas, and lounge seating. Together, the dual-branded hotel boasts an expansive indoor pool area, welcoming lobby, and filtered water stations throughout the property where guests can fill up their complimentary water bottle gifted upon check in.
Development of the EVEN and Staybridge ran smoothly thanks to the effort of the joint development team as they navigated the obstacles of construction during the pandemic. “This project has been a real pleasure for me to work on, and has been a highlight of my career,” says Tyler Miles of WSL, who serves as Vice President of Development for Western States. “The entire process for a project of this magnitude is very complex, and takes a whole army of specialists to not only get it completed, but to do it properly with high quality. Working with the City of Rochester has been a special honor for us to bring such a needed product to their community. We can’t wait until the hotel is filled with happy guests and we hope to help better their lives in any way that is possible.”
The project also bares considerable importance to lives of patients and their families. The Mayo Clinic serves as a global medical hub for cutting edge treatments and research. The hotel will serve a growing number of patients and visitors to the Mayo Clinic and provide convenient and high-quality lodging options. This community benefit and positive impact is one of the factors that attracted Napean Capital’s principal, Dr. Surendra Jain, to the project: “Napean Capital was thrilled to partner with EKN and Western States on this exciting project,” says Dr. Jain. “We expect that the EVEN and Staybridge St. Mary’s will provide world class service to its guests consistent with the world class experience that the Mayo Clinic offers to its patients.”
The EVEN and Staybridge Hotel is already checking in guests. The Grand Opening ceremony is scheduled to be celebrated on September 2nd, 2021.
About EKN Development:
EKN Development Group (EKN) was founded in 2012 as a real estate development firm, specializing in premier hospitality, retail, mixed-use, and high-density residential developments. Leveraging decades of experience, EKN develops high-quality, differentiated products that cater to the unique culture and environment of each community. EKN currently has over 1,400 hotel rooms and 350 residential units in development, and over 3,000 hotel rooms in its project pipeline. For more information about EKN, visit ekndevgroup.com.
About Western States Lodging:
Western States Lodging and Management is a full-service property management company specializing in hotels, senior communities, and apartments. It manages properties it has developed for itself and others.
About Napean Capital:
Napean Capital Group is a family office focused on real estate development and acquisitions in the hotel, multifamily, senior living, and retail sectors. In addition to its portfolio of real estate assets, Napean Capital is an active private equity and public equity investor. Napean is based in Los Angeles, California.
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