From Staff Reports

    The $4.5 million renovation of a 35-year-old, 10 story office building into a Country Inn & Suites is complete.

The building at 3141 N.W. Expressway across from Integris Baptist Medical Center, was a medical office building known as Medical Office Tower. Current owner Bob Patel had the building gutted and expanded to turn it into an 80-room hotel.

Renaissance Architects designed the makeover, which included construction of a two story addition and restoration of the original 34,000-square-foot building.

"Our plan to completely rebuild and add a 7,000 s.f. wing started with the original building's four outside walls, floors, stairs and elevator shaft," Socrates Lazaridis, principal architect, said. "In effect, we began with an empty shell and developed state of the art living quarters for travelers."

Patel said the hotel, which has 64 regular guest rooms and 16 suites, is being marketed to business travelers through the week and families on the weekends. The lower level has a 100 seat meeting area and conference room. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool.

"My desire to restore this stately building to a more appealing and productive state has been realized," Patel said. "I am pleased to invest in the continuing growth of Oklahoma City and look forward to a lasting business relationship."