The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for Tru by Hilton. Tru by Hilton in Meridian will be the first of its brand to be built in Mississippi. The 86 room hotel is expected to open in 2017 at the site of the old Crescent City Grill, 519 Azalea Drive, near Bonita Lakes.

A Tru by Hilton hotel in Meridian took another step closer to reality with a groundbreak ceremony held last week by the East Mississippi Business Developmen Council.

The hotel is being built on a 2.8-acre site that previously was home to the Crescent City Grill, 519 Azalea Drive.

Tru by Hilton in Meridian will be the first of its brand to be built in Mississippi, according to an EMBDC news release. The 86 room hotel is expected to open in 2017.

Demolition began earlier this summer at the old Crescent City Grill, which closed in November of 2010 after eight years of operation.

Tru by Hilton describes itself as a “disruptive brand” on its company website. A Tru by Hilton under construction in McDonough, Georgia, “will provide guests with smart and efficiently designed guest rooms and reimagined public spaces, including an open lobby with four distinct zones for lounging, working, eating or playing,” according to the Tru by Hilton website.

The brand also offers a “Build Your Own” breakfast, a re-envisioned front desk and a 24/7 market with a variety of snacks and refreshments, according to the Tru by Hilton website.