TO CLOSE

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the space shuttle Crew Dragon on a historical demonstration mission from the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
SpaceX

From here in the fall of 2020, guests of a new five – story hotel in Titusville will enjoy a breathtaking view of rocket launches from the rooftop terrace located directly from the hotel. On the other side of the river, Kennedy Space Center and its reception center.

Delaware North, operator of the KSC Visitor Complex, will build the 152-room Courtyard by Marriott next to the former US Astronaut Hall of Fame building on State Road 405.

"The growing interest and activity in our country's space program makes this month the perfect time to open a new family-owned hotel near the Kennedy Space Center and the Visitor Complex," said Scott Socha, president of Delaware North Parks and Complexes Division. declaration.

The Courtyard by Marriott will stand next to another five-story hotel located in the same development area of ​​the Riverfront Center, near Vectorspace Boulevard, near Boeing's offices.

BBL Hospitality is developing a 118-room Hyatt Place that is expected to open this fall. It will include a private room on the fifth floor to watch launches from the KSC or Cape Canaveral Air Base.

"This concerns not only the economy related to rockets, technology and everything that happens at the space center, but also the interest of consumers and tourists who want to come here and see the launches and visit the visitor complex, "said Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Tourism Office. "It's an amazing thing happening right now."

Last week, Titusville City Council voted unanimously to grant Delaware North permission to follow up on a recommendation from its planning and zoning commission. The company has announced its intention to act quickly, hoping to open its doors next fall.

"If we could, I'd like to have the shovel in place before the summer," Gregory Lee, Baker North American attorney for Baker Hostetler in Orlando, told city council.

Construction is expected to create about 50 jobs. The hotel will be managed by 35 other part-time and full-time positions.

The total cost of the project was not disclosed. Delaware North said it did not seek local or state incentives, but could do so in the future. The Hyatt project received a grant of over $ 200,000 from the North Brevard Economic Development Zone.

The growth in the number of launches and the manufacture of commercial space is attracting interest from new hotels near the Spaceport.

Led by SpaceX, Space Coast hosted 20 rocket launches in 2018, with the exception of offshore missile testing. The Air Force says more than 30 launches are possible this year.

In addition, KSC's exploration fleet, adjacent to the visitor complex located 10 km from the hotel, will soon house three rocket and satellite manufacturing facilities managed by Blue Origin, OneWeb Satellites and Firefly Aerospace.

Delaware North now considers that the KSC visitor complex, which last year hosted a record 1.7 million guests, is a destination that many families – not just the hardcore ones. Space – should take more than one day to explore.

In 2013, the resort opened the $ 100 million Shuttle Atlantis show, in 2016, the $ 20 million Heroes and Legends attraction incorporating an astronaut hall of fame American and, last year, a new experience of astronaut training.

After relocating the Hall of Fame from its former site on the mainland, Delaware North purchased in 2017 approximately 18 acres at NASA, including the former Hall of Fame building and the new hotel. Plans for the vacant Hall of Fame building are still being evaluated.

The Courtyard by Marriott will include 14 suites, 800 square meters of meeting space, a large outdoor pool and a rooftop observation deck with a bar. Delaware North has announced the integration of "appropriate space keys" that meet Marriott brand standards.

Courtyard by Marriott has more than 1,100 hotels in 47 countries. Delaware North operates 35 hotels and lodging sites, primarily in the United States, and the new property near KSC will be the first in Florida.

Contact Dean at 321-917-4534 or [email protected]. Follow Twitter on @flatoday_jdean and Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/FlameTrench.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to floridatoday.com/subscribe

Read or share this story: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2019/03/20/new-hotel-overlooking-kennedy-space-center-rise-titusville/3210008002/