Developer Jeff Novak speaks at the grand opening of the Sheraton Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center on July 28.[/caption]

The Sheraton Georgetown Texas Hotel & Conference Center celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 28.

The 222-room, full-service hotel, located at 1101 Woodlawn Ave. near the Rivery shopping center, also features 30,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes a 16,000-square-foot ballroom, a pool and lounge area, a fitness center and the Sheraton Club Lounge.

“As a community we put this [hotel and conference center] on the ground, and now, if you think about what this means, other people not just in Williamson County, not just in Texas, not just in the United States, but I guarantee you people from all around the world are going to get the opportunity to discover Georgetown, Texas,” said Jonas Miller, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. John Carter. “Is that not great? Is that not amazing? This project has put us on the map.”

Novak Brothers and international real estate firm Hines worked together through public-private partnerships with the city of Georgetown, Williamson County and private investors, including some from China, to develop the project, which is part of the 32-acre The Summit at Rivery Park development.

“This local project that we believed in so much brought a network of people from around the globe together,” Hines Managing Director Andy Heard said. “It’s really been a team effort.”

Construction on the project broke ground in February 2015; however, the development had been planned for several years.

“This is a project that the county has believed in since the beginning. With the immense growth that this county has seen this project and this beautiful hotel has the opportunity to serve a vital role to our growing community and to the economic potential that we have,” said Rachel Arnold, executive assistant to Williamson County Commissioner Valerie Covey. “When we cut this ribbon today we have the incredible opportunity to showcase Williamson County in the beautiful county seat of Georgetown. Even though this is located in Georgetown, this is not just a benefit to this city, it is a benefit to the entire county.”

The hotel also features the Brix and Ale restaurant as well as Jack’s Lounge, the lobby bar named for developer Jeff Novak’s brother, who he said was the “heartbeat” of the project.

Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross said the grand opening of the Sheraton Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center on July28 was a historic event for the city.[/caption]

Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross said the project was a game changer for the city.

“This is a historic day, and hopefully we will have some more history to make in the next couple years,” he said.

The hotel employees about 130 people, and General Manager Rita Healy said more could be hired.

“In our business we often say a building is just a building; it’s the people inside it that bring it the warmth and the hospitality and make it really special. That couldn’t be truer than it is of the team that has come to work here and the pride they’ve shown, the heart they’ve shown and the way they’ve thrown themselves into making this a place that we can all be proud,” Healy said. “This is just the beginning of many, many things that will come to Georgetown when they see what Georgetown has to offer. [This is] just the opening of a door. Now comes the work of delivering on the promise that this hotel holds to the community and to Williamson County.”