Johnston pushes back deadlines for Bombers golf and hotel complex off Merle Hay Road
The Johnston City Council on Monday approved delaying the official deadlines for the proposed Bombers Golf and Hotel off Merle Hay Road.
The council unanimously voted to amend an agreement with Johnston Golf Development LLC to revamp a vacant property into an entertainment complex with a hotel, a golf entertainment facility with climate-controlled hitting bays, options for food and drinks and other amenities.
The complex is one piece of the planned transformation of the Merle Hay corridor with new hotels, the Ignit sports center, a kayak launch to Beaver Creek, commercial sites and more.
More: Large sports and recreation complexes, corporate headquarters coming to Johnston in 2024
According to information presented at the meeting, the developer's deadline to secure financing for the Bombers project will be pushed back from June 17 to Sept. 16.
That will push back the deadline to complete construction of the hotel and golf facility from Dec. 31, 2024, to Sept. 17, 2025.
The agreement also calls for separate commercial buildings for uses that could include sit-down restaurants, a brewery, office space or "high-quality" retail by the end of 2026, according to city documents.
At the Monday meeting, officials emphasized the developer's progress on the project site to date — extending sewer and water lines, building the detention pond, installing the internal streets, doing foundation and electrical system work and getting full permits for vertical construction — alongside the challenge of projecting a timeline to raise tens of millions of dollars.
All the work to date is "not obvious," Mayor Paula Dierenfield said.
The Bombers site is just north of Interstate 80/35 at 5055 Merle Hay Road. Other plans for the project include an arcade, mini golf and a bowling alley.
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The city has offered more than $20 million in tax incentives for the project following completion. The hotel and golf facility is expected to have a value of at least $36 million.
The Bombers agreement was first approved in 2022 and broke ground in 2023.
Chris Higgins covers the northern and eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Johnston City Council delays deadlines for Bombers golf complex
