FREDERICA, Del.--Frederica’s newest development, Asbury Square broke ground Tuesday morning with a ceremony for a hotel that will be located across Route 1 from DE Turf Sports Complex.
To officially break ground, members of DE Turf's Youth soccer league launched soccer balls into the foundation of what will be a Marriott Springhill Suites hotel. The new development hopes to attract both tourists and locals from the Dover, Milford and Frederica area.
Amanda Rettig has four daughters, three of whom play soccer at the Turf Complex. She said this hotel will be a gamechanger for many families who travel for games.
"You would be able to, not have to commute," Rettig said. "I think it'll probably be more...super beneficial for out of town families"
The four-story hotel will have a total of 86 rooms, plus an indoor pool, outdoor patios, and a meeting space.
DE Turf Board Chairman Bill Strickland said he hopes the partnership, with owner Michael Meoli, creates a lot of state revenue.
"We're going to see an evolution of this corridor and it's a great thing, not only for central Delaware but for all of us here in the first state," Strickland said in the ceremony.
The Asbury Square master plan was finalized in 2018 and DelDOT crews began working on the site in December 2021. Meoli, who owns 25 McDonald's across Maryland and Delaware, said he was asked to possibly build another McDonald's in Frederica.
Meoli said the 22-acre development is in a prime location and will benefit both Kent and Sussex counties.
"Tourism now is Delaware's number one industry," he said. "There are thousands and thousands of tourists that are coming through here, either visiting the Turf, many of them making their way to Sussex County and even though I expect a lot of ancillary services right in this area, certainly, many of these folks who are going to be staying here will go down to the beach, they'll go down to the shopping that's at the beach, I think both counties will benefit greatly."
The hotel is set to open its doors spring of 2023.