Press Release: Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau
September 21, 2000
CHARLOTTE, NC -- The $143 million convention-style Westin Hotel broke ground today, marking a major milestone in
Charlotte's ongoing effort to leverage its promise as a premier location for large meetings and conventions.
The Westin site is located on the corner of Stonewall St. and South College St., directly across from the Charlotte
Convention Center in Charlotte's vibrant Uptown district. The full-service hotel will include 700 rooms, a 1,650-space
parking garage, 1,245 square feet of retail space and 46,050 square feet of pre-function and meeting space. Amenities
will include a business center, a health spa, an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor cafe and a trolley stop. Hotel
completion is projected for late 2002.
``Congratulations to all the public and private partners who helped bring the Westin to Charlotte,'' said Charlotte
Mayor Pat McCrory. ``The City of Charlotte has once again demonstrated that public and private interests can partner
to turn the vision of our city into reality.''
``The Westin will greatly enhance the Charlotte Convention Center's ability to host groups planning large meetings
and conventions,'' said Melvin Tennant, CAE, President and CEO of the Charlotte Convention & Visitors Bureau.
``These groups are important to Charlotte, as they help promote tourism while infusing a significant amount of
revenue in our local economy.'' According to Tennant, the travel and tourism industry brought $2.45 billion to
Mecklenburg County last year.
Private entities involved in the design, development and operation of the hotel include:
The Charlotte Westin is considered one of the largest hotels to obtain financing in the past 10 years. Of the
$143,650,000 total cost, $75 million is in the form of construction loans by Wachovia Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia,
BB&T and First Union Bank. The City of Charlotte made a major commitment to the future of the hotel by contributing
$16 million towards development and a $25 million credit enhancement. The City is also providing $650,000 towards
the trolley station portion of the project.
In addition to the Westin convention-style hotel, four more hotels are currently under development in the Uptown
district: a 181-room Hilton Garden, a 149-room Hampton Inn complex, a 150-room Residence Inn and a 180-room Courtyard
by Marriott. Over the next two years, the number of hotel rooms within walking distance to the Charlotte Convention
Center will increase from 2,757 to 4,117; and the number of committable convention rooms will increase by 38 percent.
The movement to bring a convention-style hotel began in 1997 when the City of Charlotte formed a committee to explore
how best to maximize its investment on the Charlotte Convention Center. In January 1998, the Convention Center
Maximization Committee recommended that the City issue a request for proposals to develop a convention hotel and
parking deck through a public/private partnership. The City then appointed the Convention Center Hotel Committee
to oversee the process of selecting a private developer. In October of 1998, the City Council chose the team of
Portman Holdings, L.P. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
SOURCE: Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau