Columbia Hilton & new Pendleton St Garage

[emerging.me]

City Authorizes Developer to Proceed with Hotel Plans

By JOHN C. DRAKE

Staff Writer

Columbia is one step closer to having a deal for a Hilton hotel to serve the convention center, scheduled to open in the Vista in two months.

City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to sign a nonbinding letter of intent with Windsor/Aughtry Co. of Greenville to build a 225-room Hilton hotel adjacent to the convention center. The city

[emerging.me]

[Spartan]

I think that this will be nice infill for that area. That part of the Vista has made grate leaps of improvement in the last few years. However, I also think Columbia is going hotel crazy. There are many hotels already, and thay aren't always filled to capacity. Now USC is bulding one, you have the Hitlon, and you have the "River Inn" Which might get built at Canalside.

So the list of already built and to be constructed hotels downtown includes:

The Adam's Mark

Hampton Inn

The Clarion (which is geting a nice facelift)

Holiday Inn

Comfort Suites

*USC Inn

*The Hilton

*River Inn

-For non Columbians: it should be noted that there are area just outside of "downtown" that have many other hotels like the Marriot, various extended stay facilities, etc.

[emerging.me]

That's a good point! Although, I think they really needed this project to make the convention center as successful as it could be -- it's risky enough. I think a full-service place like this will really help draw major conventions.

[emerging.me]

Looks like this is a go! Awesome. From WISTV.com...

(Columbia) Oct. 20, 2004 - Plans for a hotel to serve Columbia's new Convention Center are moving forward.

Wednesday the Columbia City Council approved an agreement with a Greenville developer to build a 225 room Hilton Hotel at Senate and Park Streets.

The city will put up nearly $3 million dollars for the project.

[Spartan]

Sweet. I noticed that that old dilapidated house that was there has been removed. I thought that article from WIS would say more than it did

Now if they could only find someone iwlling to take on the Heart of Columbia Motel.......

[emerging.me]

Yeah, Heart of Columbia is a neat old building with so much potential! But it's in such a sad state of affairs, I wonder if it'll eventually get demolished.

[emerging.me]

Here's more on The Hilton from TheState.com...

City approves Hilton deal

Developer to get nearly $3 million

By JOHN C. DRAKE

Staff Writer

Columbia will pay $2.96 million toward the construction of a 225-room Hilton hotel to serve the new convention center and will provide half-price parking to hotel patrons at a new city parking garage.

The agreement between the city and Greenville-based Windsor/Aughtry Company, approved Wednesday, brings to a close months of contentious speculation over whether the city would help pay for a new hotel.

Vista Hotel Partners, which owns Windsor/Aughtry

[emerging.me]

Good stuff! Confirmation that it is actually a full-fledged Hilton and not just a Hilton Garden Inn. Awesome.

[Spartan]

I think I've said this before, but I was glad to hear that the Heart of Cola burned Anyway, Its good news that they approved it. I can't understand why they one guy voted against it though. The only reason i can come up with is that there will be alot of hotels downtown soon. I'd rather people stay downtown than out in St. Andrews though.

[The_sandlapper]

I think I've said this before, but I was glad to hear that the Heart of Cola burned Anyway, Its good news that they approved it. I can't understand why they one guy voted against it though. The only reason i can come up with is that there will be alot of hotels downtown soon. I'd rather people stay downtown than out in St. Andrews though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey don't speak bad about the "Drews" now, that's where I grew up (Broad River Rd. & Piney Grove).

[Spartan]

I meant no offense I promise

I just meant that it seems crazy for people who have business downtown to stay out there. St. Andrews has its own office bulidings and it can probably sustain the hotels out there.

[emerging.me]

Craziness. Get the frickin' thing up!!!

From THESTATE.COM....

Hotel designs sent back to the drawing board

By JOHN C. DRAKE

Staff Writer

Architectural renderings of the convention center hotel are disappointing, the city

[emerging.me]

Some commissioners questioned the dark, brick exterior, saying it resembled traditional-style buildings on Gervais Street.

Commissioner Walter Sims said the building, which will be at Senate and Park streets, ought to fit into the more modern architecture of the Convention Center and other surrounding buildings.

Obviously, I haven't seen the design, but I'm with Sims. There's no reason it shouldn't look like the Convention Center.

[btoy]

Windsor / Aughtry is the developer that did the Poinsett Corners Condos in Greenville and I beileve that they are the ones doing the Hampton Inn at RiverPlace.

[ResearchMan]

I think the design was bland...but it should not be made to look like the Convention Center Annex. Perhaps a more modern look.

What they should do is get Stevens & Wilkinson's plans which city council liked and tweaked so much. They should buy those plans to help with the exterior look. In return Stevens & Wilkinson could drop the $4.3 million price tag their attorneys says the city owes them. That way the developer gets a hotel the city likes, Stevens & Wilkinson recovers some of their expenses, and the city gets a hotel they planned for and lower their liability.

[emerging.me]

What they should do is get Stevens & Wilkinson's plans which city council liked and tweaked so much. They should buy those plans to help with the exterior look. In return Stevens & Wilkinson could drop the $4.3 million price tag their attorneys says the city owes them. That way the developer gets a hotel the city likes, Stevens & Wilkinson recovers some of their expenses, and the city gets a hotel they planned for and lower their liability.

Exactly! That was an awesome design. Why *wouldn't* they do this???

[ResearchMan]

Uhh..probably because it makes sense.

[emerging.me]

[emerging.me]

Saw today in the Free Times where Bo Aughtry is shooting for a June or July construction start for the Hilton. Says he hopes to have it open by the end of 2006. Finally!

[krazeeboi]

Exactly. I was in Columbia this past Sunday and rolled past the lot where the hotel is to be built. It's CRYING OUT for development...LOL.

[waccamatt]

I agree. It should be modern like the convention center. I haven't liked any of the designs I've seen so far. It isn't like it's surrounded by historic brick buildings.

[Mr.Marc]

I agree. It should be modern like the convention center. I haven't liked any of the designs I've seen so far. It isn't like it's surrounded by historic brick buildings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I really hope the design won't be brick like everything else in the vista. DT Columbia needs some variety.

[Charleston native]

The convention hotel would really be a great asset to the Vista area. I wonder why good development takes so long to get started in cities all over this state?

What I am wondering about, though, is how building the Hilton would affect the current Hampton Inn and Suites on Gervais. The hotels would be competing against each other, yet Hampton Inns are affiliated under the Hilton organization of hotels. Is it good business to have 2 hotels you own compete against each other?

[krazeeboi]

I didn't know that Hampton and Hilton were part of the same chain. But as of now, I still think that the Marriott (formerly Adams Mark) is being utilized as the "main" hotel in Columbia. I know of three church related conventions coming to the convention center this summer; two are using the Marriott as their headquarters hotel, one is using the Marriott as a secondary hotel. I would imagine that perhaps the Hampton Inn would actually get a little more business as an overflow hotel once the Hilton is built. People are still getting used to the convention center, so as of now I don't know whether groups are actually utilizing the Hampton. But once the Hilton gets built and is booked for a convention center event, people will definitely begin looking at the Hampton.