MADISON – Bulldozers and front-end loaders are moving earth and peeling up asphalt as construction starts for the first hotel in Town Madison.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is under construction at the corner of Wall Triana and I-565. The site is just west of the former ‘Building 17’ cluster and parking area for corporate vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s on the Intergraph Corporation campus.

The hotel will be in Town Madison’s West End, which will feature restaurants, offices, big-box retailers and other attractions. Louis Breland with the Breland Companies and Jeff Fuqua with Fuqua Development announced the agreement in May 2017.

Tom Hunt, president of PHD Hotels Inc., attended the groundbreaking in Madison on Feb. 14. Hunt described Home2 Suites by Hilton as “one of the hottest brands that Hilton has to offer.” PHD Hotels uses the slogan “Practicing Hospitality Daily.”

Accommodating both overnight and extended-stay travel, Home2 Suites by Hilton has welcomed amenities, including a pool, fitness center, an airport shuttle and Inspired Table, a concept for complimentary breakfast.

Home2 Suites by Hilton will have 107 suite-style rooms and represent a $14-million investment. The estimated completion date is the end of 2018.

In addition to West End, distinct ‘neighborhoods’ of Town Madison offer different blends of retail, housing and entertainment:

* The Exchange — Larger retail stores for clothing, shoes, cosmetics, furniture and electronics, along with restaurants.

* The District — Boutiques, a proposed outlet mall, other retailers and an innovative Food Hall.

* Avenue Z — Mixed-use luxury apartments in walking distance to restaurants, offices, a hotel and an entertainment hub with movie theatre.

* The Heights – Upscale single-family homes, town homes and condominiums with a village square.

* The Commons — Luxurious homes, condominiums, townhomes and apartments.

Town Madison encompasses 563 acres that will give North Alabama a new and modern urban community, according to the website townmadison.com. City officials and developers promise that Town Madison will provide a new experience for living, shopping, working, dining and entertainment by connecting people with their environment in a more meaningful way than traditional developments.