Historic downtown Columbia property to become boutique hotel, restaurant
Columbia’s former Central Fire Station at 1001 Senate St. in the Vista downtown is set to become a boutique hotel complete with a restaurant and bar.
Clemson-based Shepherd Hotels plans to convert the fire house into a 60-room hotel. The project includes building an addition onto the space to increase the space from 30,000 square feet to about 41,000 square feet, architect Andrew Rogerson with Garvin Design Group told a city committee Thursday.
The six-story concrete fire tower on the property also will be used to hold hotel rooms, and developers want a fire truck to be a lobby centerpiece.
The building was renovated several years ago to host Kao Thai Cuisine restaurant, which moved to Main Street earlier this year.
Rogerson said that makes the project ideal for the inclusion of a restaurant and bar.
Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission unanimously approved the plans Thursday.
The Central Fire Station was built in 1951 and was in use as a fire station until 1994. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and developers are hoping to secure state and federal tax credits for the work.
The Shepherd Hotel in Clemson opened last year with a model that promises to hire staff with intellectual disabilities.
It is unclear how long the Columbia hotel construction will take.
