MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Today contractors broke ground on the new Marriott Residence Inn location. The new hotel will be located along Hadgadorn Road near the Hannah Plaza.

The location will be adjacent to the Marriott Towneplace Suites and will focus more on extended stay. Project manager Brian Meyer of R.W. Mercer Co., explained that with the Marriott's location being so close to Michigan State University, there was more of a demand for extended stay accommodations in the area.

The hotel will be 72,000 square feet and equipped with approximately 94 rooms. The new rooms will include kitchenettes and some will have up to two bedrooms.

The Marriott project is also expected to bring an economic gain to the area with an abundance of new job opportunities. Once the project is fully completed, the hotel will also bring permanent positions but for now hands will only be needed for the construction process.

"We'll have quite a few workers working on this over the next year," said Meyer. "Our goal is to try to get local contractors to work on this. Some of that's a little more difficult cause people are starting to get busy now."

Not only may getting local contractors pose a bit of an obstacle but unpredictable Michigan weather might too. Contractors said they are just hoping it will hold out.

"We're just excited to build this. It's a new version of the Marriott Residences so there aren't too many of them around," said Meyer.

According to contractors there are only four other models around like this one.

Contractors plan to finish the project by Summer 2015.