The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
Hotel and restaurant set to be located near the Coffee Cup to accommodate interstate traffic
Work is now underway at the site of the new hotel, near the Coffee Cup Fuel Stop.
A few years ago, there were rumors of a hotel and restaurant coming to Moorcroft, but then...nothing; at least, nothing obvious. In the background, though, big things were happening.
D A Peterson Company LLC president Doug Peterson explains, "There were people I knew in Moorcroft, who had mentioned to us for a few years that they felt they needed a motel and a restaurant, but I felt that Moorcroft may be a little small for us. Finally, a year and a half or two years ago, I did the research and did a traffic count through town, not only the interstate [90], but highway 16, which is busy and, of course, Highway 14, running up to Devils Tower and Keyhole."
After receiving the results of these traffic counts, hotel builder Peterson realized, "Those things met our criteria." With this realization, the company decided to go ahead with the plan for the Moorcroft Lodge.
"The property was available next to Coffee Cup [Fuel Stop], which has a high traffic count, too," he says.
The Moorcroft Lodge will house 32 extra-large rooms and a Grazers restaurant, emulating the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center in Newcastle, WY, according to Peterson, and will also have a meeting room available for rent for business or small parties.
Peterson hails from South Dakota and his company "builds hotels, travel centers and things of that nature". D A Peterson Company currently manages five businesses within South Dakota and Wyoming.
The hotelier has thus far hired local, as much as possible, for the various aspects of this build.
"We're using a lot of local people, like Glen Construction, the plumber [and] the electrician...We're trying to pour money into the community during the construction process."
Contractor Ben Glenn spoke candidly about the effects of the extraordinary amount of rain this summer on the construction: "This rain is killing us. It's going real good other than that; if it would quit raining, it would go a lot better."
Peterson and Glenn agree, though, that they anticipate the Moorcroft Lodge to ready to open in the spring of 2024.
