A former motor lodge in the heart of Charleston's Historic District is one step closer to becoming a major luxury hotel.
The developer overcame a big hurdle this week, after the city Planning Commission approved zoning changes for the project proposed for the site of the former Days Inn at 155 Meeting St. The vote was unanimous, with member Angie Johnson not in attendance.
The next step for Strategic Property Partners will be at the Board of Architectural Review.
The Tampa, Fla.-based real estate developer is proposing to build three mixed-use buildings on the property. A luxury hotel, with some residential units as part of the mix, will be the centerpiece of the project just south of the City Market.
The density rules allow for up to 150 guest rooms, 40 condominiums, ground-floor commercial space, a courtyard and event space on the site, which sits between two of the peninsula’s largest luxury lodgings: the newly remodeled Mills House to the south and The Charleston Place to the north.
The plans show a recessed three- and five-story building fronting Meeting Street, where the current zoning had allowed four stories. Tucked behind that, Strategic Property Partners wants to build a seven-story structure, one more than than the current zoning allows. The developer can request permission to add an eighth story from the BAR based on architectural merit.
The planning board requested that the developer include a 10-foot setback along Horlbeck Alley on the south side of its property to make room for a sidewalk to be built between Meeting and King streets.
Not everyone supported the project as proposed.
Microsoft Corp. co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates is among the investors behind the redevelopment plan for the former Days Inn at 155 Meeting St. in downtown Charleston. File/John McDermott/Staff
Sam Spence of the Preservation Society of Charleston voiced concerns about the “massive increase in intensity” in the heart of downtown.
“This is one of the most significant redevelopment projects in this part of the Historic District in some time,” Spence said. “This proposed intensity on the site could have significant ramifications on our unique historic environment to pave the way for equally intense, similarly scaled developments in the future.”
Cashion Drolet from the Historic Charleston Foundation and Rick Widman of Charming Inns, which operates the neighboring Kings Courtyard Inn and Fulton Lane Inn, voiced general support but were concerned with the impact a seven-story structure would have on King Street.
Planning Commission member Jimmy Bailey said the redevelopment of the Days Inn site is “past due.”
“There’s a universal agreement, at least that I've heard, that this existing site is pretty terrible and we'd love to see something better," he said. "I'm struggling more with ensuring that once the height change is approved, what gets built there … is a beautiful, new, large building in the city of Charleston instead of something that is plain and vanilla.”
The site had been used to accommodate budget-conscious tourists and other visitors since 1968, when the Golden Eagle Motor Inn opened on the property. Days Inn bought the business and real estate in 1983 and owned it for 20 years.
The lodging was closed for good in 2021 after changing hands for $40.5 million. The buyer in that instance was Pinnacle Mountain Holdings, which is affiliated with the investment firm that manages the personal fortune of Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates.
Strategic Property Partners is owned by Pinnacle Mountain Holdings alongside Jeff Vinik, a former manager of the famed Fidelity Magellan mutual fund who now owns the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Their development firm has spent about $57 million to cobble together the property it needs for the Charleston project.
The company hasn't disclosed the upscale lodging brand it’s working with, though it’s widely expected to be Four Seasons, which includes Gates as a major investor.
Brad Cooke, senior vice president of development at Strategic Property Partners, said he was pleased with the Planning Commission’s recommendation, which City Council must approve.
He said the firm has spent nearly a year meeting with neighbors and community organizations and will keep working to improve the design based on those conversations.
“SPP is committed to addressing feedback from these groups on topics like parking, massing and the pedestrian experience, and we look forward to City Council reviewing and voting on the rezoning application in the coming months,” Cooke said in a written statement. “Throughout the essential design and planning processes, SPP seeks to preserve and enhance Charleston’s unique architectural heritage and warm community spirit.”
