Demolition began earlier this week at the 2.8-acre site of the old Crescent City Grill, 519 Azalea Drive, to reportedly make room for a large hotel, according to city officials who declined to give more information about the deal until more details are finalized.

The Crescent City Grill in Meridian closed in November of 2010 after eight years of operation. The business was co-owned by Robert St. John, of St. John Taylor Properties of Hattiesburg. The original Crescent City Grill is located in Hattiesburg.

“It will be an upscale hotel chain that will go in there,” Meridian Community Development Department Director Bunky Partridge said. “I’m not at liberty to disclose any other details until the hotel people release it.”

Meridian Planning Manager Randall Gaither said as of Tuesday afternoon no application for site development for a hotel had been submitted to his office.

The reported hotel at the Crescent City Grill location is at least the third hotel in the planning stages in Meridian. Developers are working to renovate The Threefoot Building and transform it into a Courtyard by Marriott.

MY Hospitality Investments LLC, a Mississippi based company, indicated in an April Mississippi Business Journal report, that it planned to open an 85-room Tru by Hilton in the summer of 2017 in Meridian near Bonita Lakes Mall.

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.