Fort Benning Hampton Inn Project Description
Valley Hospitality Services, LLC is requesting a City Resolution endorsing the
new Fort Benning Hampton Inn as a convention and meeting center tourism
attraction project.
The newly enacted Georgia Tourism Development Act (GTDA) encourages investment
in new tourism attraction projects that bring out-of-state visitors to Georgia.
The GTDA is being administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs
(DCA), Office of Economic Development, headed by Brian Williamson, Assistant
Commissioner.
The Fort Benning Hampton Inn was constructed in 2012 and began serving guests
in February 2013. Going back to 2009, the National Infantry Museum was seeking
a partner to develop a hotel close to the Museum that could fill the need for
lodging to support their mission of offering convention and meeting space
facilities at the Museum to groups for activities such as military reunions and
other activities that benefit from the special resources of the Museum. In
addition to supporting the mission of the National Infantry Museum, the Fort
Benning Hampton Inn will also support the proposed relocated Westville?s sales,
encouraging multi-day tourism visits.
Valley Hospitality Services, LLC, a local Columbus company managing hotels and
restaurants, was already the operator of the Fife and Drum Restaurant within
the Museum in 2009, and providing catering services for museum events. Valley
Hospitality studied the possibility of building and operating a new hotel in
partnership with the Museum?s mission. Part of the study included anticipation
of passage of the GTDA which was working through the Georgia legislative
process at that time.
The Fort Benning Hampton Inn currently has 102 guest rooms, and was designed so
that 40 more guest rooms could be added with future construction. The interior
and exterior design and amenities are on the premium end of the Hampton brand.
There are two fully equipped meeting rooms, a signature fitness center,
laundry, expansive dining area, and pool. Parking is shared with the National
Infantry Museum parking lot as part of the partnering arrangement.
The Fort Benning Hampton Inn is the first project to formally apply for
approval as a tourism attraction project under the GTDA. The DCA is very
supportive of this project as the first example of successful implementation of
the Act.
The new hotel was constructed as a 12.6 million dollar investment in the
Columbus economy, and has provided an initial 27 jobs with projections to grow
to 34 jobs.
The GTDA makes available to approved tourism attraction projects rebates of
sales tax. Fort Benning Hampton Inn is requesting only rebates of the portion
of sales tax that goes to the state (4%). No local sales tax rebate is
requested, and no other local hotel or other tax would be affected if Fort
Benning Hampton Inn is approved as a tourism attraction project.
The GTDA requires that projects receive the support of the local governing
body, the Columbus Consolidated Government. Georgia code states that ?an
application for a tourism attraction project filed with the Department of
Community Affairs shall include?resolutions from the governing authority of the
county or city, if any, in which the tourism attraction will be located
endorsing the tourism attraction project and, where applicable, including
appropriate affirmative clauses regarding permitting, land use, local
incentives, and the provision of local public infrastructure.?
Fort Benning Hampton Inn has already received all permits from the City and so
the referenced need for affirmative clauses would not be a pre-requirement. No
request is being made for any exceptions in treatment regarding City permitting.
The GTDA requires that Fort Benning Hampton Inn provide, as part of their
application to DCA, a City Resolution of approval of the Tourism Attraction and
Project, and a copy of the local public hearing notice and minutes from the
hearing.
Attachments
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