Columbia Hilton & new Pendleton St Garage

[waccamatt]

What about the 800-space parking garage to be built to serve the convention center/hotel? What's the status of that?

It is being built in conjunction with the Hilton. The land is being cleared where the garage will be.

[krazeeboi]

Where is the parcel of land in relation to the hotel? To the north?

[CorgiMatt]

Where is the parcel of land in relation to the hotel? To the north?

To the south, on the same block, adjacent to the hotel.

[krazeeboi]

^Gotcha.

[BryCola]

I hope these new garages in the vista will be free at night like the one's around Main Street.

[GamecockEngineer]

I hope these new garages in the vista will be free at night like the one's around Main Street.

Vista needs a lot of new parking at night. It' almost impossible to find a parking spot on thurs, fri, or sat nights.

[The_sandlapper]

Heh, I agree!

[Spartan]

I think they are talking about putting a garage near Park St or Assembly, north of Gervais.

[GamecockEngineer]

I think they are talking about putting a garage near Park St or Assembly, north of Gervais.

With the opening of the new First Citizens HQ on main, I would assume that the block that currently houses FC will be open. The buildings are old and ugly, and I don't think there is anything planned for that block. A garage would go great there. Esp. if it has street level retail in it, and it is made to look like a building (like the garages in DT Charleston).

[krazeeboi]

So what effect do you guys think the new Hilton will have on the Marriott? I think the Marriott will feel the pinch initially, but will bounce back eventually.

[The_sandlapper]

Don't know I think the new Sheraton will pinch out some of the Marriot life though? The marriot may end up shriveling up DT.

[BryCola]

Don't know I think the new Sheraton will pinch out some of the Marriot life though? The marriot may end up shriveling up DT.

When are they supposed to get started on the new Sheraton? I work on the same block as the building where it's going, but they haven't done anything yet.

[krazeeboi]

When are they supposed to get started on the new Sheraton? I work on the same block as the building where it's going, but they haven't done anything yet.

The conversion of the Palmetto Building into the Sheraton has already begun.

With the new Hilton, the Sheraton, and a hotel being planned for the Kline site, I think Columbia should start marketing itself more as a convention destination. Expanding the convention center should also occur along with this, as I have mentioned before.

[BryCola]

The conversion of the Palmetto Building into the Sheraton has already begun.

With the new Hilton, the Sheraton, and a hotel being planned for the Kline site, I think Columbia should start marketing itself more as a convention destination. Expanding the convention center should also occur along with this, as I have mentioned before.

Sure doesn't look like they've started anything. I work next door, and I can see into the rooms on the backside, and it looks like an abandoned building. Broken out windows, rotted molding around windows, etc.

[waccamatt]

Sure doesn't look like they've started anything. I work next door, and I can see into the rooms on the backside, and it looks like an abandoned building. Broken out windows, rotted molding around windows, etc.

Theyve been tearing out old renovations; there is work being done, it just isn't visible from the outside yet.

[CorgiMatt]

Sure doesn't look like they've started anything. I work next door, and I can see into the rooms on the backside, and it looks like an abandoned building. Broken out windows, rotted molding around windows, etc.

The entire building has been gutted and they are in there every day. Yesterday the door to the basement was open briefly. By the way, a big string of construction workers were filing into the Barringer building at the same moment I noticed the basement door of the soon to be Sheraton.

[krazeeboi]

I didn't know that both Marriott and Hilton were both competing initially for the convention center hotel. What would this have meant for the Marriott on Hampton had the convention center hotel been a Marriott?

Also, it seems as though originally, the convention center hotel was going to be 225 rooms, but now it's 300. Am I correct in this assessment?

According to this article (at the end), a 110-room Courtyard Marriott was planned for Lady Street. What ever happened to that?

[waccamatt]

I didn't know that both Marriott and Hilton were both competing initially for the convention center hotel. What would this have meant for the Marriott on Hampton had the convention center hotel been a Marriott?

Also, it seems as though originally, the convention center hotel was going to be 225 rooms, but now it's 300. Am I correct in this assessment?

According to this article (at the end), a 110-room Courtyard Marriott was planned for Lady Street. What ever happened to that?

That is a very old article. When the city was going to build the convention center hotel it was to be 300 rooms; I believe the Hilton will only be 224. I think this is a bit too small and may lose the center some conventions.

[krazeeboi]

I do believe you're correct; the last article in The State that mentioned the hotel gave the 200 figure. That really sucks; I wonder if it's because of height restrictions in the Vista? This hotel could have easily gone at least another 2 floors. The Marriott has 281 rooms; I think that the convention center hotel in a city should have the most amount of rooms.

I also find it quite humorous that Bo Aughtry initially proposed that the hotel be a Hilton Garden Inn as opposed to a full-scale Hilton. I'm glad city council found that unacceptable and demanded a Hilton; it would have been embarassing for the hotel catering to the convention center in our state's largest city to be a second-rate hotel.

[waccamatt]

I do believe you're correct; the last article in The State that mentioned the hotel gave the 200 figure. That really sucks; I wonder if it's because of height restrictions in the Vista? This hotel could have easily gone at least another 2 floors. The Marriott has 281 rooms; I think that the convention center hotel in a city should have the most amount of rooms.

I also find it quite humorous that Bo Aughtry initially proposed that the hotel be a Hilton Garden Inn as opposed to a full-scale Hilton. I'm glad city council found that unacceptable and demanded a Hilton; it would have been embarassing for the hotel catering to the convention center in our state's largest city to be a second-rate hotel.

I agree with you; a Hilton Garden Inn would have been very disappointing. I hope the Hilton looks better than its pictures when finished, too.

[krazeeboi]

I think it will be rather impressive, especially considering it's in the Vista; it will somewhat tower over everything else in the area, but the brick facade will also ensure that it doesn't look out of place. Lord knows the rendering looks better than that concrete block they proposed the first time around.

[krazeeboi]

OK, now I'm really mad that the convention center hotel won't have more rooms, especially since the convention center hotel in Montgomery, AL will have almost 350 rooms. C'mon Columbia...

[Spartan]

With all of the hotels going up in Columbia, I think they weill manage to find the space. The Hampton Inn is just two blocks away.

[krazeeboi]

This is true. But I'm more than certain that the Vista's height restrictions prevented the hotel from having more rooms than it possibly could have had.

[krazeeboi]

Construction images from this past Sunday, 4/18: