By KRISTINA PALMER
Regional Vice President of Sales and Marketing, JSK Hospitality

SOUTH BEND — Courtyard  By Mariott will host a ground breaking at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at the corner of St. Joseph Street and Jefferson Boulevard, the site of former College Football Hall of Fame.

The continuing emergence of downtown South Bend as a business and travel destination will be supported by JSK Hospitality’s newest investment.

The five-story, 140-guestroom Courtyard By Marriott will be the first newly built hotel in downtown South Bend in decades. The more-than $10 million investment will position South Bend to attract larger trade conventions and corporate meetings, as well as support tourism with needed additional room inventory.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and representatives of JSK Hospitality will help break ground at the event, joined by Jeff Rea, CEO of the St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce and Rob DeCleene, executive director of Visit South Bend/Mishawaka.