The team had until Friday to show progress on the developmentplan. "I think that is very good news," says Tracy Huggins,executive director of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, whichplans to supply a $55.35 million subsidy for the hotel. The hotelis needed for the $268 million doubling of the Colorado ConventionCenter, which taxpayers agreed to pay for in a referendum lastNovember. Huggins says the hotel decision rests with the Bergers."We have performed an analysis that shows either one would be ahigh-quality operator and they both are acceptable to the city,"Huggins says.

For the past 14 months, the Bergers had been negotiating withMarriott Corp., but that deal reportedly unraveled because Marriotthad refused to comply with a city mandate to use union workers.

The Bergers now have until Jan. 15 to seal a managementagreement with a hotel operator. "The Bergers have conveyed theyare very far down the road negotiating with both hotel chains, andthey are confident they could have a management agreement muchsooner--by Nov. 15," Huggins says.