Columbia County commissioners voted Tuesday to provide up to $7,500 in matching funds for a state grant that would study whether the banks of the Savannah River would be a suitable site for a luxury hotel.
The county’s Development Authority and Convention and Visitors Bureau are seeking a grant from the Georgia Department of Economic Development to fund a feasibility study for a boutique hotel near Savannah Rapids Pavilion.
“I think there’s some potential in this,” Development Authority Executive Director Troy Post said last week.
“Given its proximity to the (Interstate 20), it’s very likely that we ... may also be able to come up with a nice tourism product.”
Post said county officials decided to seek funding for the study after receiving inquiries from developers about locating a hotel along the river, likely with a restaurant and specialty shops.
Property on the county’s portion of the river is scarce, and the study would determine if another area, such as Clarks Hill Lake, would be a letter location for such a development, Post said.
“(Potential developers) wanted to site something that would offer a view of the river,” he said. “I mean, that’s really the attraction and one of the reasons they’ve been looking in the area.”
In addition to finding out if a boutique hotel would be possible in the county, the study would determine the feasibility of marketing a hotel’s proximity to American Indian sites on nearby Stallings Island as a tourist attraction.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners approved an agreement for the Grovetown Department of Public Safety to provide fire service to a small area near the city limits at a rate of $1,500 per call.
The two-year contract is designed to provide faster protection from nearby Grovetown units than would be available from Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue, which serves the unincorporated areas of the county.
Probate Judge Alice Padgett at the end of the meeting swore in Scott Johnson, who replaced Steve Szablewski as county administrator.
Staff writer Jenna Martin contributed to this article
Wow, that would be great.
The quarry...erm, well, that might present a few obstacles to upscale travelers!
Columbia County has very limited river frontage. Hate to see it become commercialized. In my humble opinion this is not a good idea. But I am sure some local developers will probably get a "good deal" to make this happen. Would be better to build another hotel on the river downtown , which is already a commercial district.
As Joni Mitchell once said, "pave paradise put up a parking lot"
They said Reynolds Plantation was a bad idea look how that has turned out
The city of Augusta owns the best piece of land in Columbia County, just above the Headgates. This would be a wonderful profit/sharing agreement between the 2 counties......
I believe Columbia County has 19 years left on the lease. I can't see Richmond County being able to do anything with that land inside Columbia County even when the lease is up that CC doesn't approve of. Why would there be any sharing agreement now?
I assume this is going to be a very tiny hotel for people having weddings and so on.
double_standard, cough, choke, cough, you do know that Reynolds Plantation is in receivorship?? Mercer Reynolds and his cuz Jamie Reynolds, begging the Reynold's Plantation property owners to buy the amenities: marinas, restaurants, pools, golf clubs, etc? The members smartly voted a big fat NO.
That is a total waste of $7500.00 fo taxpayers money, no hotel will be built on the the river in CC that is leased from RC!
It's a great idea - Metro Augusta is teed up to be a major mid-sized Conventions & Visitors destination. A number of hotels on the river could add significantly with substantial water events to compliment those held on shore. Just think Riverman, you could have a front row seat or join the boys from high on top of the Marriott, the TEE Center or the newly built Hyott Hotel.
River, the land I am referring to is not leased, the only leased land is the pavillion and south not north
joebowles wrote:
This would be a wonderful profit/sharing agreement between the 2 counties......
What? Governments now make profits? Oh, perhaps you mean that Augusta can lease that parcel of land to Columbia County, who has the wherewithall to work out a public/private partnership with a private hotel company. Well, why not have Augusta work out a lease agreement directly with the hotel company and cut Columbia County out of the deal?
Oh, yeah, I guess Columbia County would deny a re-zoning request if they weren't cut in on the action.
How about putting the new GreenJackets Ripken stadium on that parcel of land?
Thanks, Joe...Okay, the land north of the pavilion. I still think it's pretty much the same situation, though. RC should sell that land if it's developable. There are expensive houses around it and I doubt any commercial concern would be allowed.
There's misinformation being put out about a luxury hotel. This is going to be a small boutique hotel from what's been said. That's all the space they have that I see.
Thewizoz said, "Just think Riverman, you could have a front row seat or join the boys from high on top of the Marriott, the TEE Center or the newly built Hyott Hotel."
Ahhhh, so Oz wants to play the dozens with Riverman. Just remember whatever was made on the TEE construction, you can subtract $6 million.
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