Roy Arnold, president and CEO of Endeavour Hotel Group, told the Topeka Development Corporation on Nov. 5 that negotiations over Endeavour’s proposed purchase and renovation of Hotel Topeka are “very productive” and nearing completion, with only a few administrative items remaining to finalize before escrow and due diligence begin.

Arnold presented before-and-after design renderings showing warmer finishes, updated furniture and what he described as “a very modern bath” with plans to convert king-room bathrooms to walk-in showers. He said the firm intends to carry updated finishes from guestrooms into hallways and public spaces to present a cohesive, upscale look.

On transaction structure and financing, Arnold said the county intends to sponsor an Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) and a larger bond initiative that would include the Manor Conference Center; those financing steps are separate but connected, he said. Arnold added that he expects county counsel to simplify a proposed long-term management agreement for the Manor and that Endeavour hopes to lead or manage the Manor renovation. “We have provided [the county] with a very detailed management agreement,” he said, and “they have indicated that they want to simplify that document.”

Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley and Arnold told the board the deal timeline includes a due-diligence period (about 90 days) followed by roughly 90 days to close, and that the involvement of county IRB and bond processes makes a six-month timeline from finalized agreement to closing a realistic expectation. Copley said the city remains the owner of the hotel until a sale closes and noted the city’s FY 2026 adopted operating budget did not include hotel operating expenses because staff are projecting the sale.

Board members asked about the Manor’s structural and life-safety work; Arnold said the Manor lacks a sprinkler system and that structural and life-safety upgrades will be required and must be planned and approved before finishing work.

Arnold said Endeavour plans to rapidly rebrand the hotel to a national flag after closing, pursue simultaneous bidding where feasible to obtain economies of scale for the hotel and Manor renovations, and that restoring group business could take two to three years because many organizations book years in advance.

Board members expressed support for continued progress and asked staff to provide a detailed timeline once the purchase-and-sale agreement is executed and returned to the board for approval.