Photo by Dennis Phillips State, county, city and Hamister Group officials during the grand opening ribbon cutting of the new DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown, located at 150 W. Fourth St., Jamestown. The $21.5 million renovation project features a new gastropub, Pearl City Hops Restaurant and Tavern.

The doors to the downtown Jamestown Hotel located along Fourth Street are officially opened for the first time since December 2013.

On Tuesday, state, county, city and Hamister Group officials held a grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony to announce the $21.5 million renovations of the DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown have been officially completed.

Mark Hamister, Hamister Group chief executive officer, said it was almost six years ago when city officials invited the Hamister Group, a recognized leader in healthcare and hotel management with a 41-year history, to look at the downtown hotel prior to a two-day online auction in October 2013.

He thanked state, county and city officials for their contributions to the private/public partnership that brought about the newly renovated hotel. He also thanked local business partners, like Artone who is providing high-quality room furniture for the freshly restored hotel. Approximately $600,000 worth of furniture for the hotel rooms was manufactured at Artone, located less than two miles from the hotel.

“We’re committed to this city,” Hamister said.

The Hamister Group developed the full-service hotel that includes 147 rooms, an outdoor patio, indoor pool and a 4,100 square-foot flexible function space. Hamister Group received a $2.4 million state Downtown Revitalization Initiative capital grant and a $200,000 Empire State Development grant to redevelop the formerly vacant hotel property that was originally built in 1979.

Also opening is the Pearl City Hops Restaurant and Tavern, a gastropub serving affordable, flavorful food, all made from scratch with locally-sourced ingredients — in a casual chic setting. The project helps to fulfill the need for additional quality downtown lodging, has created 33 new jobs and contributes to the overall beautification and growth of the area.

George Borrello, county executive, thanked the Hamister Group for investing in downtown Jamestown to turn an eyesore into a fabulous looking hotel.

“This was a labor of love for the Hamisters,” he said.

Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, thanked the Hamister group for their patience during a lengthy complete remodeling of the Fourth Street hotel.

“This is even better than what (city officials) imagined,” he said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a news release said the renovation project brings back an important downtown building and supports major recent investments such as at the new National Comedy Center, Lucy Desi Museum and the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

“As a thriving destination with countless attractions, Jamestown’s revitalization continues with the addition of much-needed lodging to support the booming local economy,” Cuomo said. “This Downtown Revitalization Initiative project will create jobs and support local business and tourism by drawing even more visitors to the region.”

Kathy Hochul, state lieutenant governor, said the funding the project received from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative is part of the governor’s administration unprecedented commitment to investing in communities across New York state.

“With the comedy center attracting people from across the globe, a new full-service hotel is a natural fit for the city of Jamestown,” she said. “This DRI investment will help Western New York continue to thrive, and further strengthen the growing regional tourism economy.”

Howard Zemsky, Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner, said, “The new DoubleTree by Hilton, a full-service high-end hotel, is another great example of New York state’s ongoing commitment to job creation and downtown revitalization, and will be a draw for visitors to the comedy center and other Chautauqua region attractions.”

State Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, said, “Jamestown’s stride toward a revitalized, reimagined downtown has taken another step forward with the opening of the full-service, DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. This strategic DRI investment will complement the city’s ongoing redevelopment while ensuring that the area can accommodate the growing number of visitors drawn to our area by the new National Comedy Center and our region’s other unique cultural and recreational attractions. My thanks go out to Gov. Cuomo and all the partners involved in this effort for recognizing the potential of this great city and working with us to make projects like this possible.”

State Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-Jamestown, said, “We are excited to welcome the new DoubleTree hotel to our local business community. This great project adds to the overall economic vitality of the City of Jamestown and capitalizes on the recognition of the National Comedy Center as a top tourist attraction. The opening of the DoubleTree Hotel is evidence of Chautauqua County’s renaissance in Western New York. DoubleTree will make a visit to Jamestown even more special with its high quality accommodations.”