Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest hotel companies, signed an agreement with Cimarron Investments, LLC to develop a unique, new Clarion Hotel in downtown Columbia, Pa. The multi-story, 60-room property is an adaptive reuse of the town’s historic potato chip factory, preserving much of its original structure.
Located at 12 North 2nd Street, the property was built in 1876 as a hardware store prior to becoming an umbrella factory and then the Becker Pretzel Bakeries – Potato Chip Division in 1940. Whether traveling for business or leisure, the Clarion Hotel at The Chip Factory is designed to offer guests a well-appointed, affordable accommodation, and rooms with breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River. The hotel will offer a full-service restaurant and bar with local craft beers, liquor and wine, and will also feature a rooftop bar area.
The property also will have flexible meeting and event space, catering services, fitness facilities, a business center, and an on-site parking garage.
The new Clarion hotel is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Columbia, near the Susquehanna River, and is easily accessible to U.S. Routes 30, 83 and 283, making it an ideal destination for guests traveling to the area for conferences, events and tourist attractions. The property is also a short distance from popular leisure attractions, such as the American Music Theater, the National Watch and Clock Museum, the Turkey Hill Experience, as well as numerous art and antique destinations. Several large area-employers include GlaxoSmithKline, Donegal Insurance, The Hershey Company and Turkey Hill Dairies.
Choice Hotels teamed with Cimarron Investments, a Columbia-based real estate firm specializing in development, renovation and leasing, to develop the Clarion Hotel at The Chip Factory. Murphy Hospitality Management, which is owned by the same group as Cimarron Investments, will own and operate the hotel.
Clarion®: Get Together Here
We believe that life is better when you get together. Business travel, special events, meetings, vacations or a weekend getaway—we have the convenient and affordable accommodations that make all of your business and social gatherings possible. Our hotels offer meeting space and rooms for events, along with catering, restaurants and bars in a social atmosphere that can help you make the most of your time together with friends, family and colleagues. In addition to comfortable rooms with premium bedding, Clarion properties offer free Wi-Fi, 24-hour business centers, and fitness centers or pools. There are more than 300 Clarion brand hotels currently open or under development worldwide. For more information visit www.ClarionHotel.com.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With over 6,800 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe, and as of February 1, 2018, more than 1,000 hotels were in its development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection®, Cambria®, Comfort®, Sleep Inn®, Quality®, Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel®, WoodSpring Suites®, Econo Lodge®, Rodeway Inn®, and Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels® brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 35 million members, our Choice Privileges® rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.
About Cimarron Investments and Murphy Hospitality
Cimarron Investments, LLC and Murphy Hospitality Management, LLC are both privately held entities owned by Don and Becky Murphy. The portfolio of holdings include 401 Locust Street, home to CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health Dental Center, 369 Locust Street which is occupied by 8 luxury apartments on two upper levels and the first floor occupying Family First Health medical center. The Murphy’s recently purchased the iconic Hinkle’s Restaurant at 261 Locust Street, which is currently being expanded and renovated into a larger restaurant with banquet space and will include Murphy’s Mercantile & Company - a 2,000 square foot first class gift shoppe. Additionally, 301 Locust Street - the former Jack Horner Shoe Store Building is nearing completion of a total renovation which includes 6 apartments on the upper two levels and Cafe 301 which is planning a summer opening. Cimarron announced in early April that they secured a lease with Starview Brews to open a craft brewery in their property at 224 Locust Street. Our passion is breathing new life back into historic properties to create a more progressive thriving downtown for future generations to appreciate as much as we appreciate the privilege to be stewards of these magnificent structures.
Source: Press release
Located at 12 North 2nd Street, the property was built in 1876 as a hardware store prior to becoming an umbrella factory and then the Becker Pretzel Bakeries – Potato Chip Division in 1940. Whether traveling for business or leisure, the Clarion Hotel at The Chip Factory is designed to offer guests a well-appointed, affordable accommodation, and rooms with breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River. The hotel will offer a full-service restaurant and bar with local craft beers, liquor and wine, and will also feature a rooftop bar area.
The property also will have flexible meeting and event space, catering services, fitness facilities, a business center, and an on-site parking garage.
The new Clarion hotel is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Columbia, near the Susquehanna River, and is easily accessible to U.S. Routes 30, 83 and 283, making it an ideal destination for guests traveling to the area for conferences, events and tourist attractions. The property is also a short distance from popular leisure attractions, such as the American Music Theater, the National Watch and Clock Museum, the Turkey Hill Experience, as well as numerous art and antique destinations. Several large area-employers include GlaxoSmithKline, Donegal Insurance, The Hershey Company and Turkey Hill Dairies.
Choice Hotels teamed with Cimarron Investments, a Columbia-based real estate firm specializing in development, renovation and leasing, to develop the Clarion Hotel at The Chip Factory. Murphy Hospitality Management, which is owned by the same group as Cimarron Investments, will own and operate the hotel.
Clarion®: Get Together Here
We believe that life is better when you get together. Business travel, special events, meetings, vacations or a weekend getaway—we have the convenient and affordable accommodations that make all of your business and social gatherings possible. Our hotels offer meeting space and rooms for events, along with catering, restaurants and bars in a social atmosphere that can help you make the most of your time together with friends, family and colleagues. In addition to comfortable rooms with premium bedding, Clarion properties offer free Wi-Fi, 24-hour business centers, and fitness centers or pools. There are more than 300 Clarion brand hotels currently open or under development worldwide. For more information visit www.ClarionHotel.com.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With over 6,800 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe, and as of February 1, 2018, more than 1,000 hotels were in its development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection®, Cambria®, Comfort®, Sleep Inn®, Quality®, Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel®, WoodSpring Suites®, Econo Lodge®, Rodeway Inn®, and Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels® brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 35 million members, our Choice Privileges® rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.
About Cimarron Investments and Murphy Hospitality
Cimarron Investments, LLC and Murphy Hospitality Management, LLC are both privately held entities owned by Don and Becky Murphy. The portfolio of holdings include 401 Locust Street, home to CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health Dental Center, 369 Locust Street which is occupied by 8 luxury apartments on two upper levels and the first floor occupying Family First Health medical center. The Murphy’s recently purchased the iconic Hinkle’s Restaurant at 261 Locust Street, which is currently being expanded and renovated into a larger restaurant with banquet space and will include Murphy’s Mercantile & Company - a 2,000 square foot first class gift shoppe. Additionally, 301 Locust Street - the former Jack Horner Shoe Store Building is nearing completion of a total renovation which includes 6 apartments on the upper two levels and Cafe 301 which is planning a summer opening. Cimarron announced in early April that they secured a lease with Starview Brews to open a craft brewery in their property at 224 Locust Street. Our passion is breathing new life back into historic properties to create a more progressive thriving downtown for future generations to appreciate as much as we appreciate the privilege to be stewards of these magnificent structures.
Source: Press release
Excellent news!! This will brighten up a very dark corner in Columbia. Hopefully, some further development will occur around the area as well. The new brew pub will make a great place for hotel patrons to visit as well!!! Fantastic. This may even encourage the Bank Museum to complete the restoration on the doors!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words of encouragement, Anonymous! We would welcome the opportunity to partner with the Murphys on this exciting venture.
DeleteYou should contact Don. I'm sure he'd love to help out!! It would be wonderful for the town to see those doors! I don't understand why the town isn't helping you with that project anyway.
DeleteWhy would the bank museum need help 20 years the doors are boarded up, do they pay taxs on a museum?
DeleteWhy not? Didn't they build a fence to protect the river side residents?
DeleteI hope when the doors are RESTORED all the complaining people visit and support the museum.
DeleteOh my goodness, here we go again...SO, for the record....the whole building is not a "Museum". We LIVE here, it's the 204 year old home where I grew up and my parents, Jean and Whitey Motter, did the original hard work and restoration way back in the 1950's, when the building came very close to being torn down. The Bank Museum was created by my family in 1967 in the part of the house that contains one of the earliest remaining Banks in the United States of America, complete with the original teller cages, furniture and even a walk-in vault along a large collection of original Columbia artifacts and documents. However, we get absolutely NO tax breaks or subsidies to support our museum because we are NOT a non-profit organization. My husband, Michael, and I are doing all the work with our OWN time, money, blood,and tears(literally!). We greatly appreciate what the Murphys, along with countless others, have done and are trying to do, to encourage more locals and visitors to discover the fantastic history and buildings in our very cool, (aka "Bad Ass"), town. More tours will better allow us to the ability to continue and independently fund our tremendous amount of ongoing maintenance and restoration work. We gladly offer tours by appointment if you're interested in learning more and want to see what we are "hiding" behind those boards. www.bankmuseum.org Thanks for asking about the taxes! Hope this helps.
DeleteThanks for the explanation, I had no idea about most of what you said. You should start a GoFundMe to help pay for a 501c3 designation. Then maybe you could apply for grants.
DeleteThey should keep the facade ooh the old building.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they will. It's in the historic district and Don appreciates the work and input of the HARB.
DeleteWhen are they going to start building this hotel
ReplyDeleteSounds like Don Murphy gets the credit. He can do what the CEDC has not been able to do. He is the definition of a Main Street program. No wonder the borough officials have been back stepping on the Main Street program, who needs it when you have Don?
ReplyDeleteHe's a business man not a politician.
DeleteDon is a great person moving Columbia forward, maybe we could elect him as mayor and we can move Columbia's redevolpment up into town from the money pit that leo is stuck on.
DeleteCEDC = Columbia Economic DON Corporation
ReplyDelete15 years tax free! Love it!!
ReplyDeleteplease explane this.
DeleteWhat and where did 15 years tax free mean???
DeleteIf you dont know then you dont know!!
DeleteNow if Rebecca can't find a tenant for the Market House NOW, she should be fired!
ReplyDeleteHer job was never a position tell after they hired her , then they amended the ordence to make the position but it was never advertised. (backwards and illegal Columbia council and mayor) LAUGHING STOCK???
DeleteAgain, if this WAS illegal the state officials would have intervened months ago. Move on ... nothing to see here.
DeleteHow would the state know??????
DeleteWhen are they going to start building this this hotel hope it doesn't take years answer please
ReplyDeleteRebecca has more to say than the boro manager. And that is another pay check out of our tax money why do they need two? She is learning the job as she is the next boro manage Sahd is going to retire. Why don't they advertise when there are job openings? Maybe someone who pays taxes here would be interested in a job.
ReplyDeleteI heard the boro is giving 600,000.00 to help build this hotel
ReplyDeleteWhy is there a tree planted in the middle of what looks to be the parking entrance??
ReplyDelete