ST. CHARLES — City leaders here say a pair of luxury hotels are helping breathe new life into St. Charles’ proposed Riverpointe development along the Missouri River — a project that has languished nearly empty for years.
The hotel complex is a joint venture from area hotel developer Anandkumar “Andy†Patel and Raj Clement, the owner of multiple car dealerships. The 106-room AC Hotel would share an expansive lobby, parking and amenities with Element’s 78 rooms designed for longer stays. Both are Marriott properties.
The proposed hotel complex, which must go before the zoning commission and city council for approval, would include a 12,500-square-foot banquet room, meeting spaces, a pool, rooftop bars, and a 6,000-square-foot restaurant.
“I have Hampton Inns. I have Holiday Inns. These hotels would be for a more upscale customer than those brands,†Patel said at a city council meeting Tuesday. This would be his first hotel in St. Charles.
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St. Charles officials made a big splash in 2019 when they announced Riverpointe as a $350 million commercial and residential project that would transform the banks of the Missouri River into a bustling entertainment district with restaurants, breweries, resorts, and even a Ferris wheel similar to the one at Union Station in St. Louis.
Since then, the Kansas City-based Chicken N Pickle has been the first and only business to open at the 120-acre site. It opened in 2023.
Adam Glosier, a partner with Scout Realty Group, told the St. Charles City Council on Tuesday that Riverpointe’s price tag today would top $460 million, if the original plans for the site are followed.
“This has been a rollercoaster of a project, with plenty of highs and plenty of challenges,†Glosier said. He has been hired by the city to help market the Riverpointe site to developers and investors.
Patel, who lives in Cape Girardeau, has built six other hotels in the St. Louis region, including three that are under construction now in O’Fallon. He is also the developer behind the $100 million indoor youth sports complex in O’Fallon.
Patel said Tuesday he anticipates construction taking about two years to complete. He did not disclose a price estimate on the project.
Clement, who has multiple dealerships in the region, said he decided to venture into the hotel industry after meeting with Patel.
“This is the kind of high-end hotel that St. Charles — and St. Charles County — needs,†Clement said.
Creating momentum
In 2019, city leaders said Riverpointe would be built in phases, with the last phase expected to break ground in 2022. However, those plans stalled with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic uncertainty, plus rising interest rates and construction costs. The initial developer behind the project, CRG, which is affiliated with Clayco, walked away from the project in 2024, citing those factors.
Glosier said each of the more than dozen businesses who had initially expressed interest in building in Riverpointe called off their expansion plans, leaving officials with few leads.
“But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Riverpointe was never going to be built in a day either,†he said. The new hotel project is sparking interest from others, he said.
That’s good news for the city, says St. Charles Councilman Bill Otto, Ward 1.
“I think we will see a domino effect now,†Otto said in an interview.
Glosier said he is in talks with a Texas-based developer who is eyeing a large chunk of the Riverpointe development near the intersection of Arena Parkway and Friedens Road, but would not share more details.
City leaders said they anxious to see renderings of Patel and Clements’ project and what else might be in store for Riverpointe.
“This is the entrance to the city,†Ward 4 Councilwoman Mary West said, “so we are very concerned by what it will look like.â€
