Ridgefield explores adding hotel or inn to village

As an aspiring arts and culture destination, Ridgefield could use a hotel or another inn — it’s almost an article of faith among town officials. What’s needed is the right location and an entrepreneur willing to sink money into the project.

Town officials are working on it, but no hotel plans have matured, as yet.

“I know a few people have looked at several different locations in town for that possibility,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. “Nothing to the point of hiring an engineer and doing traffic studies or submitting an application, or even getting to a preapplication stage at this point.”

“We are working on a hotel,” said John Devine of the Economic and Community Development Commission. “There is nothing definitive.”

Marconi said that with its population and various venues for events such as weddings, the village area would seem to be a good location for a hotel.

Wedding ceremonies and receptions have been held at locations such as the Community Center’s Lounsbury House, Silver Spring Country Club or the Keeler Tavern Garden House.

While rooms are available at The West Lane Inn in the town center and the Day’s Inn on Route 7, wedding guests often go to Danbury for overnight accommodations, Marconi said.

“And we’re losing a lot of business for our downtown area, having people enjoy our community, shop during the day, not to mention use our restaurants,” he said.

The selectmen aren’t the only town agency interested in landing a hotel.

“The Planning and Zoning Commission has discussed the downtown area, the Central Business District relative to this question,” Marconi said, “And the ECDC has looked at it very closely, because from that perspective, economic development, we have a demand that is not being fulfilled for that particular need.”