VOLUME 15 NUMBER 15 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
network
Eatery infusion
New development to add bakery, sandwich shop to Devine Street. Page 4
O
BMW hitting the gas, reaching landmarks at Plant Spartanburg. Page 11
Maker spotlight
Event, month highlight manufacturing’s impact on South Carolina. Page 6
Big deal
Columbia apartment complex part of $500 million deal. Page 8
Building for future
INSIDE
Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 In Focus: Architecure, Engineering and Construction .......................................... 15 List: General Contractors....23 At Work ..............................25 Viewpoint ...........................27
Vista’s newest hotel officially open for business By Christina Lee Knauss
Major milestones
SpiralWeld upgrades position manufacturer for growth. Page 19
OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 13, 2022 ■ $2.25
BREATH OF FRESH AIR The WestLawn Building adds new element to BullStreet Page 16 (Photo/Brian Knox at B. Knox Photography)
Columbia Under Construction
Find out the latest about projects under construction in the Midlands. Page 20
cknauss@scbiznews.com
ne of the Midlands’ newest hotels is now officially open for business. Cambria Hotel Columbia Downtown The Vista held its grand opening event Oct. 12, offering attendees a view of the new 144-room, four-story upscale hotel at 1000 Lady St. Cambria Hotels is a brand franchised by Choice Hotels International Inc. There are six other Cambrias in South Carolina — in Greenville, Fort Mill, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Rock Hill — and 60 nationwide. The Cambria in the Vista opened to guests in June, but the grand opening offered a chance for Choice Hotels officials as well as city and state representatives to celebrate the new addition to the city’s hospitality offerings. “Cambria is our newest brand, and we’re trying to offer an upscale space for the modern traveler,” said Janice Cannon, Choice Hotels’ senior vice president for upscale brands. “We’re trying to cater to that traveler who is also design-literate and looking for something unique and different in a hotel.” Also in attendance was Mark O’Neil, executive vice president of operations for Pyramid Hotel Group, the hotel’s management company. Each Cambria property’s design centers around a concept rooted in the history, lifestyle or culture of the hotel’s location, Cannon said. For the Columbia site, designers focused on Columbia’s history as a textile mill hub, with mills formerly clustered around the Gervais and Assembly street areas that border the Vista district, among other areas. See CAMBRIA, Page 10