BEEVILLE — Site preparation work has begun on a new La Quinta Inns and Suites complex on U.S. Highway 59 east of the U.S. Highway 181 Bypass.

The motel will be the fourth to be located in that area. It will be just east of the Belmont Inn and Suites and right across from the Holiday Inn Express and Best Western Texan Inn.

Albert Vilches, Beeville’s development services director, said the La Quinta property is not part of the city limits so the contractor, Southwest Contracting of Irving, is not required to have a building permit.

“They are applying for annexation,” Vilches said.

All of the other three motels in that area have been annexed by the city and are connected to city water and sewer facilities.

The three-story building will have 70 rooms. The facility also will have a lobby, a large meeting room, elevators, offices, a break room, breakfast room, fitness room and other amenities.

There will be a pool on the outside of the facility and parking spaces for 72 vehicles.

Vilches said he has no information yet how much the company will be spending on construction or when the project will be completed. That information usually is included in a building permit.

La Quinta had originally considered building the facility on the U.S. Highway 181 Business Route just north of the intersection with FM Road 351. But the company later purchased property nearer the intersection to the 181 Bypass and Highway 59 where it would be more visible.

The new motel will be one of two currently planned for construction here.

A company is expected to begin work on another three-story motel, the Yonder Inn Motel, just north of the Reserve at Jones Road.

The facility will be built just west of the access road on the U.S. Highway 181 Bypass.

That motel will offer 81 guest rooms.

Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at reporter@mySouTex.com.