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In March, the long-awaited Convention Center hotel was revealed, and yesterday, Hilton Worldwide officially announced their affiliation as operators of the new 500-room development. “We are thrilled to be operating a new convention center hotel in the heart of Columbus, the state’s dynamic capital city, which is considered a major tradeshow, exhibition and meetings destination, not only for the state, but for the entire region,” said Ted Ratcliff, Senior Vice President, Operations – Eastern North America, Hilton Worldwide.
Construction is scheduled to begin sometime next summer, and the grand opening of the facility is planned for Fall 2012. In addition to the 500 guest rooms, the building will include over 30,000 square feet of additional meeting and space.
For more information, check out the original announcement from March right here.
Nice! I’m really looking forward to next summer’s ground breaking.
it’s good that it’s a major brand like hilton… that’s hot!
has anybody been able to find anymore renderings of the new hotel? i sure cant
From the dispatch – renderings available by end of year, last paragraph
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/10/07/convention_hotel.ART_ART_10-07-09_A10_FHFA4AE.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
So, I can’t tell from the sketch above or the earlier aerial drawing by the Dispatch, will this hotel take out the Char Bar?
Anyone know, I have heard a rumor that it will.
If so, that is really sad….
thanks jpunkster!
I think it’s supposed to butt up against it, not take it out. I too would be very disappointed if the Char Bar were torn down.
Correct. It will take up the land along High Street in between the Char Bar and Ohio Center Way that is currently being used as a flat parking lot at a grade about a story down from High Street. No buildings should need to be razed in the process. The original article mentioned the possibility of an underground parking deck accessable from Ohio Center Way with the main entrance above on High Street. Here are a few photos of the site along with a google map of the location:
View Larger Map
Actually, if you examine the rendering closely (if that is possible due to the low resolution) you can see the Char Bar to the north. There is a gap between the hotel and Char Bar, where apparently there will be a vehicular access/a guest loading/unloading area set off of High Street. There was an alternate rendering that showed a southerly facing view and more detail of this on one of the TV stations when the northerly facing rendering was released. However, when the official renderings are released later in the year there will more than likely be significant changes from the conceptual renderings, as is true with most projects, i.e. Columbus Commons.
FYI… When in doubt about a developer’s intentions consult the county Auditor’s web site to check for ownership on a property, you can’t tear down a building unless you own it….the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (who controls the Hilton Site) does not control the Car Bar site…
That sign in the rendering is huge, maybe as high as nationwide tower? I will hold off till the official renderings are released to find out the true dimensions of that sign.
Glad to hear that a hilton will take up that spot.
That’s good news, thanks for the info regarding Char Bar (I have some friends who will be relieved to hear that), glad to hear we are getting a Hilton.
CbusIslander Says: That sign in the rendering is huge, maybe as high as nationwide tower? I will hold off till the official renderings are released to find out the true dimensions of that sign.
Ha! I hope you’re joking! I photoshopped the sign into the original rendering image released (as seen here). Just a playful update on the image now that we know it’s a Hilton for sure. ;)
No worries, I was kidding.
Maybe some emoticons can be added to the comment bar to clarify sarcastic comments or whatever other emotion for that matter. :-)
This is just huge for bridging Downtown proper with the northern section where Char Bar ends and there’s nothing for a long block. Right now that bridge is a lot like the 670 bridge pre-Cap.
Agreed. The other side of the road is quite the deadzone too with the outer facade of the Convention Center offering little in the way of pedestrian-level activity.
Additionally, the original announcement in March mentioned that Nationwide was planning additional office buildings on their land bordered by High, Nationwide, Front, and the rail tracks here, which should round out the rest of the block quite nicely. Especially if we do get the stimulus approval for sticking our new train station right in between the two. ;)
Can’t we just knock down the Convention Center already? I’ve puked better looking things than that building. Awful, awful, awful on many levels…..
Let’s keep Peter Eisenman (and a handful of “signiture designers”) away from Columbus for a really really long time. Columbus has a lot of architects with 20-times the design skills…let’s use them plz!
The convention center was supposed to have High street retail. It would be nice if they gradually started making those renovations.
columbusmike Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Let’s keep Peter Eisenman (and a handful of “signiture designersâ€Â) away from Columbus for a really really long time. Columbus has a lot of architects with 20-times the design skills…let’s use them plz!
Seriously? Who would you propose?
Motorist Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
columbusmike Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Let’s keep Peter Eisenman (and a handful of “signiture designersâ€Â) away from Columbus for a really really long time. Columbus has a lot of architects with 20-times the design skills…let’s use them plz!
Seriously? Who would you propose?
Anyone who wouldn’t take 1/4 mile of real estate on Columbus’ most highly travelled commercial corridor and turn it into a piece of art instead of something that actually connected with and served the people.
Eisenman is certainly notable and i know a lot of people who like/dislike him, but think about how vibrant that stretch of High Street will be once the Hilton opens compared to the brightly colored earthquake victim across the street.
Heck, I spent three years with that being the first thing I saw everyday when I woke up and the last thing I saw before I went to bed. It was a shame to see how dormant it was most of the time.
cmhcow Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Motorist Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
columbusmike Says:
October 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Let’s keep Peter Eisenman (and a handful of “signiture designersâ€Â) away from Columbus for a really really long time. Columbus has a lot of architects with 20-times the design skills…let’s use them plz!
Seriously? Who would you propose?
Anyone who wouldn’t take 1/4 mile of real estate on Columbus’ most highly travelled commercial corridor and turn it into a piece of art instead of something that actually connected with and served the people.
Eisenman is certainly notable and i know a lot of people who like/dislike him, but think about how vibrant that stretch of High Street will be once the Hilton opens compared to the brightly colored earthquake victim across the street.
Heck, I spent three years with that being the first thing I saw everyday when I woke up and the last thing I saw before I went to bed. It was a shame to see how dormant it was most of the time.
It sounds like your bitch is with the client, not the architect. Say what you want about his forms or color choices but whoever was making the program choices (Convention Center Overlords? City?) probably made the call or storefronts or no storefronts.