Cutting the ribbon at the new Springhill Suites by Marriott in Frederica Aug. 22 is Michael Meoli, third from right, with his family, business partners, and leaders from town, county and state governments. Meoli is president of Meoli Companies and principal owner of Asbury Hospitality LLC. Ben Mace, Delaware News Journal
New hotel first of several businesses planned near DE Turf sports complex in Kent County
A new hotel on Route 1 in Frederica will be the first of what could be multiple developments catering to the thousands of visitors each year at the DE Turf sports complex in central Kent County.
The grand opening was held Tuesday for SpringHill Suites by Marriott, an 86-room hotel with a conference/banquet room with a capacity for 66 people, an indoor pool, exercise room and upscale lobby with artwork, tables, chairs, couches and televisions.
“This hotel represents the next iteration of what DE Turf is designed to do: spur economic growth here in Kent County,” said Michael Meoli, president of Meoli Cos., which owns hotels and McDonald’s restaurants in Delaware and Maryland.
On Route 1 south across from the sports complex, the hotel’s address is 208 Dominus Drive at Exit 83, an exit that could soon be the home of restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores and retail stores.
The hotel is part of Asbury Square, about 22 acres that Meoli’s company is developing with six other commercial “pad sites.” One other business already under construction is Empire Wine & Spirits, which also has a store in Middletown. Meoli is the principal owner of Asbury Hospitality LLC, and his partners in Asbury Square are John Paradee and Mike Koppenhaver.
Meoli said what initially drew his attention to the Frederica site was DE Turf. Then the highway interchange with the exit and overpass was built for easy access to and from the sports facility. The third factor was Bayhealth’s new Sussex Campus hospital nearby in Milford with the addition of Nemours Children’s Health.
“With those generating demand, you could see this area needs lodging,” Meoli said. “And we’ll also have guests who are visiting Delaware and traveling through the state.”
The hotel employs a staff of about 25.
Those numbers already sound good to Frederica Mayor William “Chick” Glanden, who said the hotel signals the tip of the iceberg as far as new businesses in the area.
“We need jobs, especially for young people, and this will also help our town’s tax base,” Glanden said.
In the 20 years he’s been mayor, the two biggest development projects in town limits are these Asbury Square plans and a new 285-home home neighborhood, which could boost the town’s population by 50% or more, he said. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 1,100 in 2022.
Meoli expects the Frederica area near DE Turf to “really take off in the next five to seven years. We’re just on the front end of it.”
Sports facility operates 42 weeks each year
Bill Strickland, chairman of the DE Turf board, said the sports complex was envisioned to be a catalyst for economic growth in Kent County and the new hotel is “the next step in the realization of that vision.”
Opening in 2017, DE Turf now holds sports tournaments and instructional programs 42 weeks a year, primarily on weekends with some week-long sessions. The facility has 12 artificial turf fields, all with lights.
The primary sports at the facility are soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and flag football. Teams have come to play from more than 30 states.
Strickland credited the county leaders who advocated for the sports complex including Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, who received multiple requests for a sports tournament venue when she was state director of tourism.
She called DE Turf a “field of dreams” and said, “For me, today is about courage.”
She thanked Meoli and his partners for their courage in being the first to develop property near the sports complex, the Kent Levy Court commissioners for having courage to sign a long-term lease for the sports facility, and the DE Turf leaders for the courage to persevere in the face of numerous obstacles.
As an example of how the sports complex is driving visitors to the hotel, during a tournament in November, the hotel is already 80% booked with rooms going for as much as $330 per night.