Downtown Rome businessman Ira Levy hopes to have the first of two additions for the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham completed in 10-11 months. All of the existing rooms in the hotel will get a makeover during this first phase of the major expansion planned for the property.

Levy said Monday he has finally received all of the necessary permits to convert the old restaurant building overlooking the Oostanaula River into a two-story, 24-suites addition.

The budget for the project, is expected to come in at around $2.2 million.

Levy is also in the design process for the second addition, another multi-story hotel stretch from the current restaurant building along the river toward the Third Avenue parking deck. Levy said the project would add another 48 rooms to the Hawthorn Suites capacity, taking it up to more than 100.

The restaurant building will also include meeting room space for between 125-150 people. “It’s going to be one large room with what they call a movable wall,” Levy said. The kitchen area will also be renovated and expanded to facilitate catering of events at the hotel.

Levy said the renovation of the existing rooms be will be done in phases. Manager Gay Nichols said hardwood floors will replace carpet on the second floor. Rooms on the third floor will get new carpeting.

Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she is excited about the project.

“What Ira’s doing is continuing to open up possibilities for us to be able to handle multiple types of events at one time,” Smith said.

As for the next expansion, Levy said plans are just now starting to get serious. “We had to get the first opened up and going before we started work on the next one,” Levy said.