Details continue to emerge about a proposed hotel project on the shores of Chautauqua Lake.

Ben and James Webb attended Tuesday morning’s meeting of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency’s board of directors to discuss their plans for a 32-unit, fractionally owned condominium hotel located near Lakeside Park in Mayville.

While the Webbs own a 750-foot-long piece of lakefront land to the west of the park, the proposed building would be five stories tall and 180 feet in length. The Webbs have also asked Mayville’s Zoning Board of Appeals for a height variance to allow for the building to be a height of nearly 60 feet.

Each of the hotel’s 32 units would be composed of one-to-three bedrooms. While the business would operate as a hotel, each condominium would be owned by four-to-six owners.

“They will basically be rented out as luxury suites,” James Webb said.

Ben Webb said the ownership model has gained popularity at ski resorts in the Northeast.

“We want to pay homage to the history of the lake,” he explained at the IDA meeting, adding that former lakeside hotels were taken into account in terms of architectural design. “We really see this as an anchor, we hope, for the community and also for ourselves, and we anticipate it will make our enterprise stronger and our operation better.”

While the Webbs also own a year-round, 52-unit resort close to where their new hotel would be built, Ben Webb said he is hopeful both businesses will be connected through the use of Rails to Trails, the lake and Lakeside Park.

A groundbreaking in the spring of 2016 would lead to the new condominium/hotel potentially opening in the spring of 2017.

In terms of employment, Webb said roughly 30 employees would be hired at the height of the summer season for the hotel’s proposed full-service restaurant and other amenities.

“Year-round, it’ll be similar in terms of a core, full-time staff,” he added.

The Webbs have been working with Terry Elsemore of real estate development company Fractional Strategies for the condominium portion of the project.

“What it comes down to is, if you were looking to purchase a lakefront property right now, it would be in the neighborhood of $300,000-400,000,” Webb told the IDA. “Our product looks like it’d be available for purchase right around the $150,000 mark based on a one bedroom and going up, but the market will certainly dictate that.”

At an August Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, Marty Serena of Chicago-based firm Serena Sturm Architects, explained that a main entrance, restaurant, rooms and an outdoor deck would take up the first floor, along with rooms on the second. On the third floor, an open-use space would be located, while the condominiums would be located on the fourth and fifth floors. The roof of the building would be an additional open space.

“One of the things that occurred to us as we move forward with this property is that, from a geological point of view it’s an important piece of the world,” Webb said. “We want to pay attention to the Portage Trail history.”

Mark Geise, deputy director of planning and economic development for the IDA, explained that Rails to Trails was an initiative created to connect Barcelona Harbor to Chautauqua Institution following former railroads and the former Portage Trail and is split into five segments.

While portions of the trail are complete, a segment would run directly through the proposed hotel property and past the current year-round resort.

“I think it’d be a great project for looking at how we’re integrating some of the things we’ve been trying to do here in our county with our natural resources and attracting people to use our trails,” Geise said.

While the Webbs approached the IDA for a potential Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement, Ben Webb said any financial aid would be greatly appreciated.

In terms of the requested variances, the Zoning Board of Appeals is still waiting for Chautauqua County Planning Board approval.

Mary Schiller, chairperson of the ZBA, said if everything goes as planned, a vote on the project will take place at the board’s Oct. 20 meeting.