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JACKSONVILLE Wine Country Inn to expand Addition will provide lobby, allow hot breakfasts Comment By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Wine Country Inn will construct a two-story, 5,286-square-foot building with a lobby downstairs that will allow the town’s largest room provider to offer a hot breakfast and an expanded welcoming space. “Everyone is kind of expecting that today,” owner Carl Johnson said of the breakfast offering. “You find it in most hotels. It’s become the norm; that and Wi-Fi.” In addition to a larger lobby, there will be three suites constructed on the second floor, bringing Wine Country’s room count to 30. The building will be constructed on an unoccupied corner of the motel’s one-acre lot at North Fifth Street and Shafer Lane. The Jacksonville Planning Commission and the Historic and Architectural Review Commission approved the project April 8 and 15, respectively. The hearings were continuations of earlier sessions during which concerns were raised about setbacks, parking and other issues. Construction is expected to begin after the summer tourist season, with completion in the first part of 2016, said Johnson. James Cook and Associates of Jacksonville, which has done design work so far, will prepare working drawings with help from engineers, Johnson said. An application to the city stated that cost-conscious families traveling on a budget are looking for facilities that offer hot breakfasts as part of their stay. No other Jacksonville accommodations offer the service, according to the application. “We would really like to be able to do a hot breakfast like the Best Western,” said employee Karli Burch, who has worked at the inn two-and-a-half years. The inn was probably losing business to Medford establishments, she said. Currently the inn has juice, coffee and scones available in the morning on a table in the lobby, located in a converted two-story house. “We do really well during the summer. Between Britt and things happening in the valley, we stay very busy,” said Johnson. He hopes the upgrades will help boost occupancy at other times of the year. A fireplace in the new lobby will warm winter visitors, he said. Construction will include a covered entry, pantry and warm-up kitchen and kitchen storage. An outdoor eating area also will be available. The three new suites will allow for installation of newer amenities in the rooms, said Johnson. “This will provide a nice place to check in, and it gives us a little more room,” said Johnson. “When you get more than a couple people in (the old lobby) at one time, it gets claustrophobic. “We plan to hire some additional staff to do the breakfast and for housekeeping,” said Johnson. Wine Country Inn is part of a family business, Country House Inns, which also operates the seven-accommodation McCully House Inn downtown and has three cottages on C Street. The business bought McCully House 15 years ago and acquired Wine Country Inn 10 years ago. Johnson did not have an estimate of construction costs because of changes in the design. The existing lobby space will become an area for a business office, storage and the housekeeping operation. Tony Boom is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach him at [email protected]. By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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