Hilton downtown expansion grows to 26 stories as designers refine concept

 

 

The planned expansion of the Hilton Columbus Downtown could pack enormous event and meeting space into a tiny parcel next to the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

 

But it'll be a complex job.

 

Designers of the 470-room hotel project are navigating space constraints, brand awareness, cost and even tariffs as they engineer the new downtown tower. 

 

The design team – Cooper Carry, Meyers + Associates Architecture and Jeffrey Beers – told the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority on Tuesday afternoon that much progress has been made on the design for the project, which will soon head out to bid.

The new plans for the tower bring it to 26 stories, including a prospective rooftop bar.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/10/23/hilton-downtown-expansion-grows-to-26-stories-as.html

 

Wow! This design looks great in my opinion. Hopefully they can keep things on track and begin construction next summer as they stated in the article. 

Looks nice ?  Should be a nice addition for Columbus.

It's ok...we can share our Hilton hotel tower with rooftop bar with you Columbus...In turn, how about you let us borrow your North Market tower...After all, we preach about the 3C's needing to work together more on this board ?

Not a fan of the weird verical thin rectangle on the right side of the right rendering, the rest of it looks nice though (and happy to see a floor count increase). 

These preliminary renderings look good.

New Concept Revealed for 26-Story Convention Center Hotel

 

The latest plans for a new hotel attached to the Greater Columbus Convention Center were presented yesterday to the development committee of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.

 

The new hotel will technically be an addition to the existing Hilton Downtown Columbus, located across North High Street from the convention center. The two buildings together – which will be connected via a new underground passageway – will offer a total of 1,000 rooms, the size that Experience Columbus has argued for years is the key to attracting larger conventions to the city.

 

More below:

https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-concept-revealed-for-convention-center-hotel-bw1

 

 

5 hours ago, FudgeRounds said:

Not a fan of the weird verical thin rectangle on the right side of the right rendering, the rest of it looks nice though (and happy to see a floor count increase). 

If that piece is just blank on the east side I will be ok with it. As long as it has windows on the north and south sides. It does look fairly prominent on the last pic that ColDayMan just posted so it can't just be a big ugly lump looking like a tumor or a parasitic twin hanging on the thing.

I work across the street from this site, and have noticed the last week or so there has been surveyor equipment at the site.  I'm assuming early prep work and specifications for the future construction site!!  It's gonna be a great view from my office windows to watch the progression once this begins....

23 hours ago, Gnoraa said:

I work across the street from this site, and have noticed the last week or so there has been surveyor equipment at the site.  I'm assuming early prep work and specifications for the future construction site!!  It's gonna be a great view from my office windows to watch the progression once this begins....

 

I expect progress pics weekly! ?

 

Also, super excited about this project.

Looks like Cooper Carry are the architects. Same company who did the Cleveland Convention Center Hilton.

 

Planned downtown Hilton grows a floor as designers hone their vision

 

 

 

"Designers have added another floor to the planned Hilton Columbus Downtown expansion, growing the tower to 28 floors.

 

The design team from Cooper Carry, Meyers + Associates Architecture and Jeffrey Beers presented an updated look for the proposed tower to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority this week. The project is estimated to cost $190 to $200 million.

 

The new design calls for about 460,000 square feet, which would bring the Hilton Columbus Downtown to 858,000 square feet and exactly 1,000 rooms. This new configuration solves two main sticking points brought up this fall – and will create 75,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop bar and event area."

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/12/14/planned-downtown-hilton-grows-a-floor-as-designers.html

Edited December 14, 20186 yr by aderwent

Wow, this is looking really good! I really like the design of the south side of the building. Hopefully they can stay on the schedule and get construction started by September. 

Quite a signature project. 

 

Cleveland and Columbus will soon both have signature convention headquarter (Cooper Carry-designed Hilton-branded) hotels. 

Someone with some mad photoshop skills should make a mock-up of what the skyline will look like with this tower, Market Tower, and Millennial Tower. 

As much as I like modern architecture with lots of glass, I actually really like the blend of brick and glass on this design.  It will compliment the already built "sister" Hilton across the street.  I especially like the multi angled glass atrium bump out on the ground floor corner of the building, as well as the large glass protrusion around floor 6 or 7 of the building hovering over the entrance pull up of the convention center.  This will definitely make a great statement for what continues to be a growing and improving convention center positioning Columbus to stay competitive for more conventions and make the large hotel room bookings much more convenient for convention planners.......keep that bedroom tax money flowing into our city!!!!

Looks good. Glad they increased the meeting space from 61,000 to 75,000 square feet.  Just curious...but if the last notice we got was that it was to 26 floors, and this latest update shows 28 floors, then didn't it grow by 2 floors instead of just one as the article states?  Well anyway I really like it.  And this one will get built and it is my favorite of the 3 proposed towers.  The north side of it is looking better as well in the renderings.

Edited December 14, 20186 yr by Toddguy

3 minutes ago, Toddguy said:

Looks good. Glad they increased the meeting space from 61,000 to 75,000 square feet.  Just curious...but if the last notice we got was that it was to 26 floors, and this latest update shows 28 floors, then didn't it grow by 2 floors instead of just one as the article states?  Well anyway I really like it.  And this one will get built and it is my favorite of the 3 proposed towers.  The north side of it is looking better as well in the renderings.

 

You're right, hopefully 28 is the correct number and not 27. That would put both this and Millennial at 28 stories, and North market in the 30s hopefully.

At 28 floors we're also approaching the 300' mark and being a hotel attached to a convention center, I think this will easily eclipse that mark. 

5 minutes ago, DevolsDance said:

 

You're right, hopefully 28 is the correct number and not 27. That would put both this and Millennial at 28 stories, and North market in the 30s hopefully.

At 28 floors we're also approaching the 300' mark and being a hotel attached to a convention center, I think this will easily eclipse that mark. 

 

This should easily be over 300' tall. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes over 350'. 

All I know is I'm looking forward to my office view the next 2 years.  Going to have such a great vantage point to watch the progress!!!  (Apologies in advance for the glare on the glass haha)

Also, just think if we could actually get some form of transit/rail set up down by those tracks.  It's poised in the perfect position if you think about it.  You could have a transit line directly to John Glenn (CMH)!!!  So convenient if we could actually get some form of transportation outside of busses a priority in this city...

 

It honestly can't be that hard to gain the right of ways right along the 670 corridor or what not to align this....just my thought though....it's not even that far of a distance.....

Edited December 14, 20186 yr by Gnoraa

Those tracks are gold.

8 minutes ago, Gnoraa said:

Also, just think if we could actually get some form of transit/rail set up down by those tracks.  It's poised in the perfect position if you think about it.  You could have a transit line directly to John Glenn (CMH)!!!  So convenient if we could actually get some form of transportation outside of busses a priority in this city...

 

It honestly can't be that hard to gain the right of ways right along the 670 corridor or what not to align this....just my thought though....it's not even that far of a distance.....

 

10 miles. We'll probably get an autonomous shuttle before a train. How well used is the AirConnect? Though a 5 minute train ride from the terminal straight to the center city sounds awesome.

2 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

Those tracks are gold.

To build off that initial line, you could extend it directly into Franklinton and the West side of town if you really wanted to think future expansion.  Those tracks go right in that direction....

 

Rail is such a viable option still, and much of our high way corridors as well as existing tracks are positioned well in my opinion...

The original announcement for this in March had it at 300 feet and 22 floors. 

 

https://www.columbusunderground.com/new-20-story-convention-center-hotel-proposed-downtown-we1

 

The diagram is hard to read/see but the article says 22 floors and 300 feet. I would imagine it would be pushing 350 by now if that is the case, especially since one of the floors added was for meeting space and those tend to have the higher ceiling heights as opposed to hotel room floors. 

 

*I am assuming that a floor was added for meeting space since it went up in floors and added 14,000 square feet to the meeting space although I did not see that specified.

Edited December 14, 20186 yr by Toddguy

22 minutes ago, Gnoraa said:

Also, just think if we could actually get some form of transit/rail set up down by those tracks.  It's poised in the perfect position if you think about it.  You could have a transit line directly to John Glenn (CMH)!!!  So convenient if we could actually get some form of transportation outside of busses a priority in this city...

 

It honestly can't be that hard to gain the right of ways right along the 670 corridor or what not to align this....just my thought though....it's not even that far of a distance.....

If they are going to do this, they might as well get the rights to extend it up along 270 or Stelzer to then have it connecting three important nodes: downtown, the airport, and Easton.  Would make it easier to go carless downtown too with the Easton access.  If only though, right? This is one place where I think a rail corridor would work.

A whole lot of worthwhile projects could be done transit-wise in town using a combination of existing rail corridors and street tracks.

10 minutes ago, GCrites80s said:

A whole lot of worthwhile projects could be done transit-wise in town using a combination of existing rail corridors and street tracks.

True, but I still think this northeastern one would be the best. And it might even help them hurry up and densify Easton as well, as that process seems to be moving at a snail's pace.

Well being a bit warmer out and the fact that i'm a curious person, decided to take a walk up from capitol square during my lunch and see the site myself only to be pleasantly surprised that they've already cleared it and started site surveys it seems. 

 

Some Friday eye-candy for you all. Enjoy!

 

Edited December 14, 20186 yr by DevolsDance

From the renderings and the picture of the site, will they build the hotel over that road under High street? Seems like a tricky engineering feat. I would guess they may have another access point to the hotel below street level.

On 12/15/2018 at 3:17 PM, 4N6science said:

From the renderings and the picture of the site, will they build the hotel over that road under High street? Seems like a tricky engineering feat. I would guess they may have another access point to the hotel below street level.

 

The existing Hilton has a service and garage entrance off that road (Convention Center Dr.). It's also my secret back way into the Vine Street Garage. Even on massive event days like Red White and Boom I can fly right in and out of there via 670 while almost everyone else waits for an hour trying to get off at Third or Neil.

3 hours ago, aderwent said:

 

The existing Hilton has a service and garage entrance off that road (Convention Center Dr.). It's also my secret back way into the Vine Street Garage. Even on massive event days like Red White and Boom I can fly right in and out of there via 670 while almost everyone else waits for an hour trying to get off at Third or Neil.

 

It's one of the best hidden road in this city (second only to Walhalla) and makes getting through on event days so much easier.

 

I will admit some concern about this with the new hotel and wondering if it'll become a service road only and closed to through traffic. I don't think the engineering is any task really to build over the road and maintain access, however I wonder if due to some safety reason it'll go service only since the structure will likely be straddling the road. 

I can't for the life of me figure out how this is going to fit in that space. Like, where's that road going to go? Is it being built above it? Road now goes through a tunnel?

 

No amount of mental gymnastics makes it work in my head, lol. Can someone smarter than me explain?

57 minutes ago, Zyrokai said:

I can't for the life of me figure out how this is going to fit in that space. Like, where's that road going to go? Is it being built above it? Road now goes through a tunnel?

 

No amount of mental gymnastics makes it work in my head, lol. Can someone smarter than me explain?

 

The convention facilities authority has secured air rights from the city for above the road. The building will be built over the road, just a like a bridge. I imagine they'll have columns on either side of the road to support the building.

Edited December 17, 20186 yr by .justin

5 hours ago, .justin said:

 

The convention facilities authority has secured air rights from the city for above the road. The building will be built over the road, just a like a bridge. I imagine they'll have columns on either side of the road to support the building.

 

For reference this is very common in cities like Chicago, where many of their buildings are built over railroad tracks.

On 12/17/2018 at 5:32 PM, Imwalle said:

 

For reference this is very common in cities like Chicago, where many of their buildings are built over railroad tracks.

 

On 12/17/2018 at 12:15 PM, .justin said:

 

The convention facilities authority has secured air rights from the city for above the road. The building will be built over the road, just a like a bridge. I imagine they'll have columns on either side of the road to support the building.

 

Very interesting. I didn't know this was common and figured it was a crazy engineering thing. Thanks for the insight!

Couple more renderings from the Dispatch:

 

 

Still really wish they would've built the 15 story towers on the north end...

1 hour ago, Zyrokai said:

 

 

Very interesting. I didn't know this was common and figured it was a crazy engineering thing. Thanks for the insight!

 

It’s fascinating to watch. If you ever get bored, look up photos of the early stages of construction on 150 N Riverside (wedged between the Chicago river and active passenger rail lines) or Vista Tower (supetall with a road going through the lower floors). 

 

I’m very excited to watch this one rise!

32 minutes ago, aderwent said:

Still really wish they would've built the 15 story towers on the north end...

There is still hope for something like that on that sliver of Goodale between High and the parking garage. I wonder what will end up there?

On 10/24/2018 at 10:22 AM, YO to the CLE said:

It's ok...we can share our Hilton hotel tower with rooftop bar with you Columbus...In turn, how about you let us borrow your North Market tower...After all, we preach about the 3C's needing to work together more on this board ?

 

I have to say that while I do love how CLE's Hilton turned out, I think CBUS' addition has absolutely brought ours up to par. I'm quite pleased with how the Columbus addition has evolved and is looking, I think they both hit it out for the park for how these things usually go. 

 

However, no, North Market tower is ours! unless you give us Lumen. 

So CU says 28 floors, and the Dispatch has it at 27 floors. Which is it?

Bizjournals and CU are reporting 28, I feel like 28 but the below/above high street piece is what makes it a bit washy how its reported. 

I think the way the building sits will have more of an influence on height than the floor count will.

4 hours ago, DevolsDance said:

Bizjournals and CU are reporting 28, I feel like 28 but the below/above high street piece is what makes it a bit washy how its reported. 

I think the way the building sits will have more of an influence on height than the floor count will.

Yeah I think that may be it. I forgot to take that the building will start from below High street into consideration.

County facilities authority seeks bond agreement to finance $210M Hilton tower

 

 

As the development team comes together on the look for the new Hilton Columbus Downtown expansion, the plan to finance the project also is being refined.

 

The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority has approached Columbus and Franklin County officials with its plans to finance the $210 million, 28-story hotel tower with two sets of 30-year bonds.

 

The plan calls for $140 million in senior hotel revenue bonds and $100 million in subordinate hotel revenue bonds with a 50/50 backing by the city and county government.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/01/10/county-facilities-authority-seeks-bond-agreement.html

A lot of unused roof space on that lower roof.  Would be cool to see it utilized.

26 minutes ago, ck said:

A lot of unused roof space on that lower roof.  Would be cool to see it utilized.

That is a very good point and I did not even think of that. You think they could come up with a rooftop something or other-unless the type of construction of that part of the roof would not allow it.

So this is going to be 210 million dollars for around 500,000 square feet, or around $400 a square foot, while they are telling us that the 750,000 square foot Millennial Tower will be $150 million or around less than half the cost per square foot?...right.  This will rise, Millennial Tower is doomed IMO.

1 hour ago, Toddguy said:

So this is going to be 210 million dollars for around 500,000 square feet, or around $400 a square foot, while they are telling us that the 750,000 square foot Millennial Tower will be $150 million or around less than half the cost per square foot?...right.  This will rise, Millennial Tower is doomed IMO.

 

The engineering for this is much more considering the parcel, and 6 of the 28 Millennial Tower floors will be parking garage. A much cheaper building is pretty easy to believe. Still don't think they're going to ever break ground for it.

55 minutes ago, aderwent said:

 

The engineering for this is much more considering the parcel, and 6 of the 28 Millennial Tower floors will be parking garage. A much cheaper building is pretty easy to believe. Still don't think they're going to ever break ground for it.

 

Not only that, but the nature of the buildings is much different as well. I would imagine, for example, 5 floors of hotel rooms would be more expensive than 5 floors of office space.

 

Office space, especially today, is much more of an open floor concept with a couple of offices/conference rooms thrown in. Pretty simple. 

 

An entire floor of hotel rooms means more drywall, doors, plumbing, doors, decor, etc. 

 

Even an entire floor of apartment/condo space is probably cheaper than an entire floor of hotel rooms. 

What’s the process for getting those bonds approved?