Image: A rendering of the dual-brand hotel and conference center.

Frampton Construction Company, LLC has begun construction of the Hilton Garden Inn - Homewood Suites Summerville and Lowcountry Event & Conference Center. The facility will be the largest and tallest of its kind in the Summerville area, with the accompanying event and conference center fulfilling a significant need for meeting, training, and accommodation space in the burgeoning business corridor.

Frampton Construction was selected by developer Lowcountry Hotels and partnered with project architect Bounds, Gillespie, Killebrew, Tushek, PLLC, to design, plan and build the 208,828 square foot facility. The hotel and conference center will sit on a 6.1-acre site in the Nexton community, at the corner of Sigma Drive and Edge Street.

At a groundbreaking ceremony held June 28, Daniel Blumenstock from Lowcountry Hotels commented, “It was apparent to us that there was a need not just for a hotel in this market, but for event and conference space, and I believe we’ve found the perfect location, the perfect hotel brands, and the perfect mix by including the conference space in this development.”

Featuring a total of 250 guest rooms, the eight-story hotel will measure 93 feet in height, making it the tallest building in Summerville and Berkeley County. Amenities are set to include a full-service restaurant, bar and lounge, resort-style pool with cabana, several outdoor green spaces, a workout facility, and a business center.

Chad Frampton, president of Frampton Construction, said, “We’re honored to be part of one of the most significant private developments in Berkeley County and humbled by the confidence Lowcountry Hotels and the Fennell family have shown in the Frampton team.”

The dual-brand concept caters to both select service and extended stay hotel customers through one property by pairing two distinctly branded hotels under the same roof while consolidating guest amenity spaces and back-of-house-operations for maximum efficiency.

A two-story conference center with 14,000 square feet of meeting space will connect to the hotel. Keeping the area’s growing automobile manufacturing industry in mind, the conference center’s first floor will feature a back entryway suited for vehicle access and more than 7,000 square feet of uninterrupted space large enough to showcase automobiles. Folding walls will allow this area to be separated into three smaller conference rooms as needed. The second floor will house six additional meeting rooms.

“We are excited to begin construction of this formidable project that will take a tremendous team effort. Over the next 20 months, our team will manage an estimated 500+ construction trade workers who will put in place approximately 8,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1,500 tons of steel, 1,750 gallons of paint, and over 350,000 square feet of drywall,” Frampton further commented.

Bill Peagler, Berkeley County supervisor, also at the ceremony, noted, “If there’s one thing I can say about Frampton Construction, they will get the job done, and they will get it done on time.”

Construction is expected to be complete in early 2020.