East Lyme — The new owners of the Niantic Motel on Flanders Road near Exit 74 of Interstate 95 are seeking permission from the town to extensively renovate the building.

The two-story, 50,000-square-foot hotel, once home to Bickford’s Restaurant — the sign of which is still displayed on the property — is set to become part of the Best Western chain after it was purchased by Shree Ganesh LLC in April.

Described by town officials as “tired” and in need of an update, the building will undergo more than $500,000 in renovations, according to a building permit application.

There are plans over the next six months to update the building’s façade and its 93 rooms, which will include replacing carpeting, furniture, tile and wallpaper, as well as the building's hallways, banquet facilities, lobby, parking lot and landscaping, according to zoning enforcement officer Bill Mulholland. Its pool will also be renovated and the building will house a new restaurant.

“This is a continued redevelopment of some of the tired properties along Flanders Road,” Mulholland added, pointing to the Midway Plaza which was recently rehabilitated. Mulholland said the hotel renovation will also compliment new development on the road, such as the Asian noodle restaurant, Daddy's Noodle Bar and Costco.

Mulholland said the hotel's owners plan to start demolishing the interior of the building as soon as this week and that the building will be closed during renovation. Construction is expected to be complete by summer 2020.

Originally part of the Howard Johnson’s chain, the hotel was built in 1973 and has since cycled through various owners, including the Wolanic family, which has owned the building for several decades. The building at varying points was also part of the Days Inn chain and briefly housed the Shoreline Family Restaurant, until its roof collapsed in late 2010.

The building, according to town officials, has undergone minimal renovation over the years and has remained almost in its original 1970s condition. Building official Steve Way said last week he welcomes the changes as the building has often been the subject of complaints about unkempt conditions.

“The building itself has not had a major investment, and it lost any national chain that’s been attached to it, so we are very excited that the Best Western brand is coming to Niantic,” First Selectman Mark Nickerson said last week. “We are very happy that a significant amount of money will be invested in the upgrade and renovation to the entire facility. The whole property will be done.”

Nickerson said the renovation may benefit the town’s tourism economy and will compliment other redevelopment being discussed for the Exit 74 interchange. Nickerson declined to discuss those ideas but pointed to the state Department of Transportation's plan to restructure the Exit 74 Interchange area in 2021.

That plan which includes demolishing the Starlight Inn and Mobil gas station, which sit across the street from the Niantic Motel.  

“We are excited for the investment, and that will bring other investment, as well,” Nickerson said. “We are excited to have another source for families to recommend their friends and family to stay (when) in Niantic. I think the condition and the lack of investment over the last several decades has led people not to use those hotel services. I think this will be good for our tourism.”

m.biekert@theday.com