OhioHospitality Ohio city to get first new hotel in nearly 100 years May 13, 2019 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share via email The Architecture Review Board for the Ashtabula City Harbor Historical District in Ashtabula, Ohio, on May 7 approved Riverbend Hotel’s completed architectural plans. This is a final step before construction begins early this summer on the city’s first hotel in almost a century. A ceremonial ground-breaking date will be announced shortly, to take place in June at the hotel site on the corner of W. 6th Street and Goodwill Drive, just off historic Bridge Street. The hotel will open to guests in Spring of 2020. Riverbend Hotel has expanded to 30 rooms, including two penthouse suites. The elevation is now three-and-a-half floors instead of four to accommodate an enlarged outdoor rooftop that overlooks the Ashtabula River, the historic bascule lift bridge and Lake Erie. At the ceremonial ground-breaking, hotel founder Todd Canter will unveil additional details about the now-expanded offering, including visual renderings of the interior and exterior of the property and a sneak peek at Ohio’s new upscale boutique hotel brand. Canter will be joined by Jim Timonere, Ashtabula City Manager, and co-owners Larry Laurello of Laurello Vineyards and Delta Railroad; Pete Huggins of Iten Industries; and, Chuck Borsukoff of JCI Contractors. For architecture and design, the owners engaged Chicago-based Vintage Zinc Interiors founder Lorie Giambarbaree and Youngstown, Ohio, architect Stephen Berry. Global brand and marketing communications veterans Stefanie Murphy and Jessica Doll of Chicago helm the hotel’s branding and communications activities.