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Columbia Hilton & new Pendleton St Garage


emerging.me

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Wasn't there a recent graphic on this site that showed what the Hilton would look like? From what I recall it looks pretty hum-drum. It has that red brick Vista look to it and it doesn't really look like a quality hotel just an average looking building, but that's just my opinion? Does anyone have any renderings?

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  • 1 month later...

I'm still not sure the hotel is necessary. Columbia has alot of hotels.

The article also said that this is not for certain. Its just a possibility. I think they will pull it off though.

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Convention centers have mushroomed up all over the country, while the demand for space has been slack. 9/11 and overbuilding have hurt the convention/trade industry quite a bit. Not having a hotel is already costing the center business and puts it at a disadvantage.

Jacksonville's Convention Center is a huge disappointment and the lack of a hotel is the chief reason cited. Even thought the downtown area has several major hotels.

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I think the hotel is needed. I try to place clients visiting from out of town in the Hampton Inn on Gervais, but it is already booked more often than not. The Hilton is only proposed to have 225 rooms, that is not a very large hotel to begin with. If the convention center doesn't have its own hotel it will never be as successful as possible. Remember the Colonial Center is only 2 blocks from the hotel site and it hosts many events throughout the year too.

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To be honest, I don't think that either the Holiday Inn right across from the Coliseum or the Marriott (former Adam's Mark) are easily walkable, although within walking distance. But a relatively upscale hotel, right across from the convention center, with the possiblity of a skywalk, really fits. This is the concept for just about every significant city with a convention center that I've visited (Charlotte, Memphis, Birmingham, Mobile, Cincinnati, etc). I remember reading an article about how the presence of such a hotel would positively impact the area, as there are some conventions that will not utilize a convention center without an anchor hotel.

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If the Hampton Inn & Suites wasn't the same distance away as this proposed Hilton I would agree with you.

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How many rooms does the Hampton Inn have? Less than 150 would be my guess. Too few rooms to truly serve the COnvention Center and normal traffic.

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Less than 150 would be my guess.

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I agree.

The Holiday Inn is mediocre as a hotel at best and convention goers don't want to stay blocks away from the convention. The hotel needs to be next to the center for the center to reach its potential, imho.

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True.

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The Holiday Inn, indeed, gets the gasface. I hope they eventually give it a total refurb or raze it to expand the research campus.

The posting in this thread has me wondering... what's the latest on the Hilton? Things have been pretty quiet and I don't remember what the status of the project was when we last heard something.

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  • 1 month later...

The latest from The State is that Stevens & Wilkinson, the architectural firm that drew up the plans for a 300-room Hilton hotel, is suing the city of Columbia for $1.3 million. They are the third firm to sue to city; Gary Realty and Garfield Traub Development, members of the local team that worked on the public deal, filed a lawsuit against the city in March for $2.1 million.

In March 2004, the city decided to seek private proposals for a convention center hotel in response to mounting public criticism of its plan to make taxpayers liable for $69.9 million in bonds for hotel construction. Windsor/Aughtry Co. of Greenville was chosen.

But the firms suing the city say that decision does not release the city of an obligation to pay for work done up to that point.

Stevens & Wilkinson received $700,000 from the city in 2003 to continue work on the project. That payment is cited in both lawsuits as proof the city should pay for all of the work the firms did.

Developer Bo Aughtry said last month his 222-room Hilton Hotel would cost $3 million to $5 million more than initially expected. Aughtry said he was still in negotiations with contractors to make that project economically feasible. He still hopes to begin construction in August.

The city has committed to a $3 million cash subsidy for the private hotel deal.

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In today's edition, The State reports that the convention center hotel is still seen as being significant to the overall success of the convention center. The lack of such a hotel is probably the reason why the city booked more local conventions than initially planned--however, such conventions have little economic impact on a city. More out-of-town conventions equal more hotel rooms booked which equals more tax revenue for the city.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

You know, after viewing the rendering a few times, the hotel is certainly going to make a statement, especially considering that it's in the Vista and is going to be 8 stories tall. Considering that the capital city to the north of us is having issues with the design of its proposed convention center hotel, Columbia should consider itself fortunate to have a hotel with a tasteful design (nothing that knocks your socks off, but fitting nonetheless) AND that is under construction.

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You know, after viewing the rendering a few times, the hotel is certainly going to make a statement, especially considering that it's in the Vista and is going to be 8 stories tall. Considering that the capital city to the north of us is having issues with the design of its proposed convention center hotel, Columbia should consider itself fortunate to have a hotel with a tasteful design (nothing that knocks your socks off, but fitting nonetheless) AND that is under construction.

and with that location...from the upper floors, folks should have a great view of both downtown and the river. i'd stay there.

krazeeboi, how much did you spend in gas driving around columbia taking all these pictures? :D

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