Developer Outspends Foes

Developer Lary Mielke has raised $21,973 and his opponents $8,090 in their efforts to win the May 19 referendum that will decide the fate of the historic Huntington Sheraton hotel, according to the latest campaign spending reports.

Mielke, who has proposed demolishing the hotel’s main building and replacing it with a similar-looking 380-room structure, was the largest contributor in the campaign, providing $8,500 of his own money to the Yes on the Huntington Hotel Committee.

Defenders of the Huntington Hotel, a group that opposes Mielke’s plans, has spent all but $320 of its funds.

Voters will be asked to decide whether the zoning of the hotel property should be changed from residential to a special zone allowing Mielke’s development. A “yes” vote will allow Mielke’s project to go forward; a “no” vote will block the project.