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Hilton Columbus Downtown breaks ground
13 July 2010 22:19:36 GMT
HOK, Moody Nolan, and Simeone Deary Design Group to design $140M convention hotel.
Hilton Hotels, in partnership with The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, has broken ground on the new Hilton Columbus Downtown located in Columbus, Ohio.
The convention headquarters hotel will be located on the west side of High Street connected to the SMG-managed Greater Columbus Convention Center and Nationwide Arena.
The project is a collaboration among the Franklin County Commissioners, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, City of Columbus and Nationwide Realty Investors, Inc. The $140 million, full-service convention hotel is expected to open in fall 2012 and will feature 532 rooms, 48 suites and 22,800 square feet of meeting space, including a 12,000 square-foot ballroom.
The property will be owned and developed by the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and operated by Hilton Worldwide. The design group consists of architects HOK and Columbus-based Moody Nolan and interior designers, Simeone Deary Design Group. Turner Smoot is the project construction manager.
"The addition of the 532-room Hilton Columbus Downtown, combined with the existing amenities of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, will enable our city to compete as a convention destination for more than 900 national trade shows, conventions and meetings in our target convention market," said Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority Board Chairman John S. Christie. "We are in a great position to think long-term. Columbus is looking beyond the short-term and preparing for the next ten years."
The hotel will include a 160-seat, full-service restaurant, a 100-seat lounge, a specialty coffee outlet, an executive lounge, and a lobby featuring a large atrium with skylights to give an indoor-outdoor feel and a combination brick and glass façade. The Greater Columbus Convention Center's 900-vehicle parking garage adjacent to the hotel will service the property. In continuing the city of Columbus' commitment to sustainability, the Hilton Columbus Downtown will be LEED Certified as well as Green Seal Certified from an operating standpoint.
One of the first conventions to take advantage of the enhanced Destination Columbus package is the Southern Baptist Convention who announced at the groundbreaking that they have chosen Columbus to host their June 14-17, 2015 meeting. The convention is anticipated to draw 16,000 attendees bringing in 19,530 room nights and an estimated $6.2 million in visitor spending to Central Ohio.