Charleston firm plans 200-room hotel and meeting venue near its Town & Country Inn

Plans are underway to redevelop a former Hyundai car dealership along Savannah Highway into a large conference center and hotel.

It’s one of the latest accommodations projects being proposed as more investors look beyond the peninsula. 

Jim Palassis, owner of Palas Holdings, said his company expects to break ground on a 200-room lodging and meeting venue at 1948-1950 US Highway 17 next year, after necessary approvals and permits are secured.

Site and architectural plans underwent review by the West Ashley Revitalization Commission and are now in front of Charleston County.

The former car dealership, which has been vacant for several years, will eventually be torn down to make way for the hotel and the accompanying 10,000 square square feet of convention space.

Plans include a rooftop and first-floor restaurants, as well as a second-floor outdoor pool deck and terrace above the front entrance area. A pair of standalone retail spaces measuring about 5,000 square feet are proposed for the front corners of the property, where Orleans Road and Dupont Road meet Savannah Highway.

Palassis said the project will provide up to 100 jobs.

“We’re taking our time to make sure we build the right building for the site,” he said. “The area is in need of revitalization.”

Palas Holdings bought the property in 2014 for $7 million, according to Charleston County land records. It also owns the neighboring Town & Country Inn & Suites on Savannah Highway and the Market Pavilion Hotel at East Bay and Market streets on the peninsula, among other assets.

The proposed layout of a 200-room hotel and conference center planned for Savannah Highway. Provided rendering/R4 Architects 

Charleston-based R4 Architects is handling the new project, and it expects the outside façade design to be finalized in the coming weeks. The firm’s Michael Remesi said the hotel will stand seven stories tall, with the top floor accommodating a dining venue and terrace.

“With an upscale design and convention space, this project could compete with downtown hotels and add something new to West Ashley,” Remesi said. 

The hotel structure will take on a curved shape and will have an upscale feel, with modern and traditional touches.   

City Councilman Peter Shahid, who represents the area and chairs the West Ashley Revitalization Commission, praised the redevelopment. He expects it will have a “tremendously positive impact” for the area, especially “that particular section of Savannah Highway.”

“This kind of project won’t just draw transient visitors, it will draw convention and event guests into the community who will then need places to eat, shop and spend time,” Shahid said.

He added that the project is under the county’s purview because it’s in an unincorporated area. While he sees that as a missed opportunity for the city to reap some of tax benefits, the visitor dollars it will generate will spill over.

“There’s a lot of excitement around this project,” Shahid said. “What Jim has done is he has taken an unsightly property, a literal dead zone, and has envisioned a beautiful and productive future for it.”

Miscellaneous

The old Cooper River and Ravenel bridges are some of the displays that can be viewed at the annual Holiday Festival of Lights on James Island. File/Andrew Whitaker/Staff

Planning for a 152-unit hotel on 200-210 Spring St. near MUSC, WestEdge and the Ashley River is underway by JJR Development. The project, first proposed several years ago, will go before the city of Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review on Dec. 14. … The Charleston Tour Association was recently recognized by Mayor John Tecklenburg and Charleston City Council, in honor of the group’s 25th anniversary. … The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park is open nightly until Dec. 31 from 5:30-10 p.m. The seasonal drive-through and park event draws locals and tourists alike to see 750 illuminated displays. Tickets start at $15 per vehicle.

  Our twice-weekly newsletter features all the business stories shaping Charleston and South Carolina. Get ahead with us – it’s free.

Follow Megan Fernandes on Twitter @Meg__Fernandes.