Columbus developer Mark Castleberry will stay busy for the next year as his firm, Castle Properties, handles three major projects.
Ground was broken May 3 at the site of a new three-story building at the corner of College Street and Third Avenue South, behind the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center. The $2 million, 24,000-square-foot building will house the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau and various offices. Construction is expected to wrap in nine to 12 months.
The CVB will pay approximately $425,000 to buy most of the building”s first floor and plans to spend another $200,000 to renovate the area to its specifications. The CVB outgrew its office and storage space at its current location on Seventh Street North years ago, said CVB Director James Tsismanakis.
“Right now we”re on top of each other. It was not adequate space when we started five years ago,” he said.
Five full-time employees occupy the CVB offices with another employee at the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center.
The new offices will provide space for the CVB to host visitors as it markets Columbus and Lowndes County for reunions, conferences, fishing tournaments, heritage tours and other events. It will also give the CVB a presence in downtown.
“We”d like to have a prominent spot more on Main Street, located next to the Tennessee Williams Home and Welcome Center. So many people go there thinking it”s (the CVB”s) welcome center,” said Tsismanakis.
“We are thankful for the support we have received for this project,” Castleberry said. West Brothers Construction is handling construction, which initially was delayed because of the condition of the building market.
“It is getting better. It has been tough for a while, but the building market is getting better,” he said.
In addition to the CVB, Castleberry has commitments for four of seven $200,000 condominiums and expects businesses to occupy five office spaces in the building. Plans also include a conference room, recording studio, reception area and lobby.
Two much bigger buildings will follow the completion of the downtown building. Fairfield Inns and Suites is currently under construction on 18th Avenue North and is scheduled to open in March 2011. Construction on the Courtyard at the Marriott hotel is scheduled to begin in 90 days, adjacent to the Fairfield, and is expected to conclude by November 2011.
The hotels will cost $23.5 million to construct, with an additional $6 million to $8 million spent on adjacent restaurants.
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