August 10, 2018
For immediate release:
Plans for New Downtown Hotel Development Revealed in Joint City/County Announcement Signaling Tipping Point
In a joint announcement, officials from the City of Anderson and Anderson County outlined the details of a planned hotel and retail development in downtown Anderson at the corner of South Main and East Market Streets. The hotel will be a focused-service property affiliated with a national franchise. It will be developed by Main at Market, LLC, a new partnership between Paragon Hotel Company, headquartered in Anderson, and Steve Timmons of Greenville as these established regional companies embark on their first venture as partners. Paragon will function as the operating entity.
“This is a tipping point for us,” Mayor Terence Roberts said. “Bringing a name-brand hotel to our downtown, and the complex nature of working with a national franchise is new to us. We are already on the radar of regional and national players, and the spotlight on us just got brighter with this key development on our horizon.”
The development is slated to be a multi-story structure with 90-plus hotel rooms and retail/restaurant space on the first floor. Amenities will include conference rooms and meeting spaces along with an outdoor fire pit and swimming pool.
“We have worked in lock-step with the County and the developers to make this happen,” the Mayor said. “Economic development projects like this require a high degree of cooperation and a shared vision. It is the culmination of more than a year of work, and we are pleased that all of the partners and both councils agree that now is the time to move on this project.”
Craig Wooten, Anderson County Councilman District 1 said, “A national brand name hotel locating downtown exemplifies the coordination and teamwork between Anderson County and the City of Anderson. This “One Anderson” approach is setting the stage for unparalleled industrial and commercial development for the next 20 years.”
The outline of the timetable for the development states that construction will begin twelve months after final approval from the government bodies involved and be completed within 24 months.
“We are proud of the infrastructure improvements we have made to downtown in the last few years, including new parks and green spaces,” Linda McConnell, city manager said. “This is a natural next step as we have the opportunity to become a destination market for regional conferences and continue to attract visitors to our downtown.”
The City and the County will have future readings on their respective agendas to complete the economic development project assistance. “The design features of the development will complement the downtown area and the ground floor amenities will attract visitors and pedestrian traffic to our business core,” David McCuen, assistant city manager said.
Officials are also looking ahead to the need for additional parking the development will create. The City has embarked on a parking study which will identify current capacity and shortcomings of parking in downtown and the area adjacent to the hotel. “We have plans on the drawing board for a possible parking garage in the block with the hotel, and we will follow the projections of the study as we move forward,” McConnell said.
For more information contact:
David McCuen at 864-231-2200
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About the Developers
Paragon Hotel Company:
Paragon Hotel Company, which owns and manages multiple properties with more than 2,100 rooms, is headquartered in Anderson, SC. The company’s portfolio includes hotels within Hilton Worldwide, Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Choice Hotels International, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Best Western and Wyndham Worldwide franchises. In 2017, Paragon Hotel Company grew by 30% and started 5 new hotels. Its portfolio includes more than 20 hotels located in 4 states.
In Anderson, properties include 5 hotels in operation and one under construction:
- Hampton Inn @ Interstate Blvd (exit 19)
- Hampton Inn @ Alliance Parkway (exit 27)
- Holiday Inn – Clemson Blvd
- Comfort Suites @ Interstate Blvd
- Country Inn & Suites @ Interstate Blvd
- Marriott Residence Inn @ Interstate Blvd (under construction)
Longshot Properties, Steve Timmons
Timmons brings a wealth of expertise in engineering, construction and information technology. He has been instrumental in the creation of several Greenville developments including “restaurant row” near Pelham Road and a shopping center near I-85. His clients have included Home Depot, Wingate Inn, and Hilton.
He holds a degree in Plant Metallurgical Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Clemson University. He spent a 30-year career with Central Realty Holdings in Greenville and retired as president of the company. He previously worked for Lucas CAV, Lockheed-Georgia, and the Canal Insurance Company.