All of them began when Canfield became fascinated with some project and ended up making his company money. And that has led him to welcome the opportunity to work with the city to finalize the Beach and South of Laurel Comprehensive Area Plan. As it happens, Canfield's newborn interest in teaming up with government coincided with the city's post-earthquake attitude. The Beach Area plan was the city's idea. Rotkin says the city had good reason to try to mend fences with its former nemesis.
Canfield possesses two things the city wants.
He's got La Bahia. He's got money. The SC City Council wanted access to both to solve its two pressing problems. And the funky hotel on Beach Street was unlikely to inspire a citizens' group to rally for its preservation. In La Bahia, the councilmembers saw a facility located at the beach and close to Downtown that could support convention-sized crowds.