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Hilton by the numbers, timeline
Staff Reports$32 Million Cost of hotel
222 Number of rooms
14 Number of regular suites
2 Number of presidential suites
$169 Price per night for an average room
$599 Introductory price per night for a presidential suite
200 Number of employees
8 Number of floors
A LONG ROAD
Early 1960s: Columbia acquires land for a conference center near USC's Carolina Coliseum.
1970s: Lexington County considers Guignard family land on the West Columbia side of the river.
1978: Columbia Mayor Kirkman Finlay unveils his Congaree Vista vision; a conference center is vital.
1986: Texas developer offers Lexington a Hilton. Columbia businessmen pay $10,000 for site study. Columbia Mayor T. Patton Adams broaches a joint venture with USC.
1987: Columbia calls for ideas. Businessman Temple Ligon's proposal for "The Bridge," a center spanning the river, gets attention.
1988-89: Money woes stall plans on both sides of river. Lexington developer declares that site dead, citing influential Columbians' sabotage.
1994: Mike Carrier, Columbia visitors bureau executive director, suggests the city and counties unite, levy a 2 percent hotel room tax, backed by hotel owners.
1996: Consultant picks Vista as best site in $60,000 city study. Columbia unveils plans for a $15 million facility next to a $48 million USC arena. The three governments approve a 3 percent hotel room tax.
1998: Columbia, Richland County discuss extending life of Vista property tax district to raise more money.
1999: Columbia buys 3 1/2 blocks in Vista from SMI Owen Steel for $8.4 million. Richland balks, then agrees to use $25 million from tax district for riverfront park, children's museum and land for an arena and convention center.
2001: Richland 1 OKs tax deal.
2002: Contractor M.B. Kahn breaks ground on convention center. Columbia votes for public financing of a Hilton developed by local firms, including Garfield Traub Development, Gary Realty and Stevens & Wilkinson architects.
2003: USC unveils new arena.
2004: Columbia agrees to use $69.9 million in city money for a $71.4 million hotel. Loud taxpayer opposition pushes city to call for private proposals; it chooses Greenville's Windsor/Aughtry Co., with a $3 million city subsidy. The 142,500-square-foot, $37.4 million convention center opens Sept. 21. Gary Realty bills city for $4.3 million on behalf of original hotel developers.
2005: Gary Realty, Garfield Traub sue city for $2.1 million; Stevens & Wilkinson, for $1.3 million. City gives Windsor/Aughtry $1.5 million to make Hilton Garden Inn fullservice, $1.5 million for rising construction costs. Firm breaks ground.
2007: April brings news that a Ruth's Chris Steak House will locate in hotel; both set to open in August.