Missouri hotel developer John Q. Hammons has withdrawn his application to be included in the city’s Catalyst One redevelopment project and instead said he will focus his energy on  the proposed arena and hotel in the Haymarket.

Hammons, who was in Lincoln Thursday to talk with city officials and others involved with the West Haymarket project, said he has too much on his plate right now to develop a hotel on the downtown block bounded by P, Q, 13th and 14th streets.

He submitted a letter in mid-March in response to the city’s request for proposals for the block. Two other developers submitted more detailed plans.

Hammons said he remains committed to building a hotel and convention center in conjunction with the city’s proposed new arena.

“We’re committed to do this if they want us to,” he said.

Hammons said he thinks the project could come to fruition in as little as two to three years.

“I’m encouraged and I think it will happen,” he said. “That’s the reason I flew in here.”

Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng said  a task force studying the arena and convention center is probably a couple of weeks away from talking timetables, but has made a lot of progress.

Seng said she thinks Hammons was surprised by that.

“I think he was really kind of pleased that we are that far along,” she said.

The mayor said the task force, which is an action team formed by the 2015 Vision group is ready to tackle serious pieces of the plan, which include possible relocation of railroad tracks, floodplain issues and possible environmental issues due to ground contamination.

After that, she said, “I think (the process) is probably going to just move right along.”

When it does, Hammons appears to be ready.

He said he envisions a 15- to 20-story hotel with 350 to 400 rooms and a “nice” convention center. He even has a name picked out, although he declined to say what it is.

While some have questioned whether Lincoln can support another full-service hotel downtown, Hammons, who built the downtown Embassy Suites, said he sees a good market.

“I wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t a market,” he said.

Hammons said he has hotels in 12 cities that, like Lincoln, are state capitals and home to major universities.

The cost for the arena has been estimated at near $250 million, with a convention center and hotel possibly costing as much as $100 million.

But Hammons, who expressed cost concerns about building a hotel at 14th and Q streets, downplayed that aspect.

“I know it’s costly,” he said, “but we have the business to fill it.”

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Wendy Birdsall said having Hammons’ involvement and commitment to the project may be crucial to whether it gets done in a timely manner or at all.

“It’s a big project, and it’s got to have what I call a champion,” Birdsall said.

Hammons’ involvement, she said, “brings it that much closer to reality.”

Reach Matt Olberding at 473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.