A local hotel developer who was passed over for a downtown property deal has sued the city of Columbia for records regarding that deal.
In December, Columbia City Council unanimously approved plans to sell the city-owned office building at 1136 Washington St., to luxury hotel developer Kessler Enterprise for $2.9 million. The company has promised to invest $70 million into the site to build a “Grand Bohemian,” Columbia’s first 4-star luxury hotel.
But the deal has drawn criticism from some, particularly Rick Patel, a local hotel builder who said he was passed over for the property sale despite offering the city $5 million for it – twice what Kessler will ultimately pay for the site…