‘This is going to dominate us.’ New downtown Columbia hotel on hold after opposition

A seven-story hotel planned near the Gervais Street bridge in downtown Columbia is on hold after numerous residents raised concerns about the plans.

A Columbia commission Thursday deferred an application from Florence-based developer Naman Hotels to construct a 249-room hotel on a vacant L-shaped lot behind the McDonald’s at the corner of Gervais and Williams streets. Developers would also build a 430-space parking garage at the southwest corner of the property.

The city’s Design/Development Review Commission put those plans on hold until the developer can show a rendering more appealing to pedestrians. Specifically, the commission is asking for a rendering of potential parking facilities and how cohesive those plans are with the existing area.

The decision meets at least the immediate goal of several residents who spoke against the project Thursday.

“It’s far out of proportion to the neighborhood, towering over the nearby buildings,” said Charles Leidecker, while reading a statement representing 21 people from a neighborhood across the street. “This is going to dominate us.”

Other residents also referenced the building’s size as their main concern.

Williams Street resident Jay McKay urged the commission to reject the project, saying the building would block out historic elements like the presence of the old standard oil building and century-old warehouses.

“We are the gateway across the Gervais Street bridge into Columbia,” he said. “This building is going to take our view of the city, it will take anyone coming across the bridge, it’s just gonna wipe that out. …You won’t be able to see the capital or the Adluh building or any of that.”

Naman Hotels operates facilities across North and South Carolina, including a Hilton Garden Inn in West Columbia and a Staybridge Suites in Columbia. The proposed Gervais Street project would be a combined Homewood Suites and Tru Hotel by Hilton.

The project will be able to return to the design commission when it has a parking rendering to show. The developer must also receive site-plan approval from the city’s Planning Commission as well as several other logistical steps before construction would begin.