Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels, which is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, were the first to build a hotel using cross-laminated timber (CLT) in the U.S., constructed in the former troop barracks area at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and opened in March 2016. That team recently completed its fourth CLT hotel, the first phase of the Candlewood Suites at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, which opened last month.
The first phase consists of this property’s 171-room West Building whose construction included some 4,100 pieces of black spruce CLT. The property’s East building, slated to be completed next spring, will have 146 rooms. The costs of these projects were not disclosed.
Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels have a portfolio of hotels with an aggregate 13,000-plus rooms, located on 40 U.S. military installations. This portfolio includes the largest Candlewood Suites hotel in the world, a 311-room facility that opened last July in Fort Gordon, Ga. The South Carolina project was developed under the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) program, and is the 14th Candlewood Suites hotel in the PAL portfolio. Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels took over operations of Fort Jackson’s lodging in 2013.
The $1.8 billion PAL program’s total construction costs to date exceed $940 million.
Also see: Time-lapse video of the Fort Jackson hotel’s construction
P3 AGREEMENT DATES BACK MORE THAN 10 YEARS
In 2009, Lendlease took ownership of more than 3,200 hotel rooms located across 10 U.S. Army installations and, with IHG, became the first developer to begin operations under PAL, an Army-led public-private partnership that was established to revitalize on-post lodging for soldiers, their families and government travelers. Under this program, Lendlease and IHG have also built hotels branded Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites.
Lendlease, PAL’s executive developer under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, is owner/developer, design/builder, and asset manager on the Fort Jackson hotel. InterContinental Hotels Group is the operator and manager of IHG Army Hotels.
“The PAL program is a great partnership [among] the Army, Lendlease, and IHG,” stated Scott Chamberlain, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Housing, and Partnerships. “I look forward to ongoing success as we continue to meet the mission of the PAL program by improving the quality of life for service members and their families.
Each of the rooms includes a kitchenette among its amenities.
MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING, AFTER MANAGEMENT FLAWS EXPOSED
Stars and Stripes reported last month that the Army plans to spend $2.8 billion in base housing over the next five years to build 3,800 new homes and renovate nearly 18,000 existing homes at Army bases. This announcement followed reports about dangerous housing conditions that include exposure to lead paint, mold and asbestos; insect infestation, and poor maintenance.
Military officials attribute some of these problems to poor oversight of private companies that manage nearly all the housing on stateside bases.
This latest investment would build on a $500 million base housing investment last fall, according to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
Related Stories
| Dec 2, 2010
GKV Architects wins best guest room design award for Park Hyatt Istanbul
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, PC won the prestigious Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design for best guest room, Park Hyatt Macka Palas, Istanbul, Turkey. Park Hyatt Maçka Palace marries historic and exotic elements with modern and luxurious, creating a unique space perpetuating Istanbul’s current culture. In addition to the façade restoration, GKV Architects designed 85 guestrooms, five penthouse suites, an ultra-hip rooftop bar, and a first-of-its-kind for Istanbul – a steakhouse, for the luxury hotel.
| Nov 16, 2010
CityCenter’s new Harmon Hotel targeted for demolition
MGM Resorts officials want to demolish the unopened 27-story Harmon Hotel—one of the main components of its brand new $8.5 billion CityCenter development in Las Vegas. In 2008, inspectors found structural work on the Harmon didn’t match building plans submitted to the county, with construction issues focused on improperly placed steel reinforcing bar. In January 2009, MGM scrapped the building’s 200 condo units on the upper floors and stopped the tower at 27 stories, focusing on the Harmon having just 400 hotel rooms. With the Lord Norman Foster-designed building mired in litigation, construction has since been halted on the interior, and the blue-glass tower is essentially a 27-story empty shell.
| Nov 3, 2010
Rotating atriums give Riyadh’s first Hilton an unusual twist
Goettsch Partners, in collaboration with Omrania & Associates (architect of record) and David Wrenn Interiors (interior designer), is serving as design architect for the five-star, 900-key Hilton Riyadh.
| Sep 30, 2010
Luxury hotels lead industry in green accommodations
Results from the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2010 Lodging Survey showed that luxury and upper-upscale hotels are most likely to feature green amenities and earn green certifications. Results were tallied from 8,800 respondents, for a very respectable 18% response rate. Questions focused on 14 green-related categories, including allergy-free rooms, water-saving programs, energy management systems, recycling programs, green certification, and green renovation.
| Sep 13, 2010
Conquering a Mountain of Construction Challenges
Brutal winter weather, shortages of materials, escalating costs, occasional visits from the local bear population-all these were joys this Building Team experienced working a new resort high up in the Sierra Nevada.
| Aug 11, 2010
Accor North America launches green hotel pilot program
Accor North America, a division of Accor Hospitality, has announced that it will pilot the Green Key Eco-Rating Program within its portfolio in the United States in 2010. Green Key is the first program of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts based on their commitment to sustainable "green" practices; the Accor North America pilot will involve 20 properties.
| Aug 11, 2010
CTBUH changes height criteria; Burj Dubai height increases, others decrease
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)—the international body that arbitrates on tall building height and determines the title of “The World’s Tallest Building”—has announced a change to its height criteria, as a reflection of recent developments with several super-tall buildings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.