Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-04
SAVANNAH'S NEW HOTEL
WHAT ARCHITECT WOOD SAYS
ABOUT THE Project.

He Favors an Exchange of the Barracks
for the Pavilion Hotel and Chatham
Academy site-sOme Reasons Why
the Building OF the Hotel Should Not
be Delayed.
Mr.. J. A. Wood, the architect in charge
Of the building Of the Guards armory, is in
the city. Mr.. Wood has taken a lively
interest in the project for a new hotel in
Savannah, and about year ago prepared
plans for building on the barracks lot.
The impression has prevailed that he
would offer some feasible plan for getting
the hotel scheme in working order. In
reply to an inquiry by a NEWS reporter
Yesterday as TO what he thought Of the
prospects for a hotel and what was the
best site for such a building, Mr.. Wood
said:
so own the barracks property is to
control the most desirable location for
hotel in the city. | advocated its pur-
chase for that reason. \ hotel with its
ornamental grounds occupying block like
that would not be equaled in any CITY.
Il is a great mistake TO crowd a big hotel
on small lot. 1t is like crOwding a
number 10 foot into a number s boot. 1t
looks well while new. but both are
spoiled"
Have any new plans been suggested -
asked the NEWS man.
a hotel on the plan Of which / sub
mitted sketches about a year ago is about
what should be built if people Of wealth
are TO be induced to spend the winter
here. The hotels in Savannah a t present
are kept better than hotels usually are in
cities Of even double the size. The build
Ings, however, are old and lack the COM
forts and cOnYeniences which wealthy
people are accustomed to. One half the
rooms front on lanes or back yards, and
while this may do for travellers seeking
/ lodging for night or two, the class Of peO-
pie you seek TO attract and have remain in
your city require something very different.
| There is a wide difference between the
wayside inn and the fashionable resort
hOtel-a difference that does not stop with
capacity. The building to which | refer
would cost $3.50, 900. and that is a low
| price for such an establishment. | had
an offer of $4,000 a year for the hotel
without the stores. The property would
| bring more money, with 10 or y stores
| on the Bull street front. IL the building is
/ located on the Pavilion Hotel and Chat
| ham Academy lots, the stores would bring
| an annual rental, 1 am assured, Of from
| 5. 200 to $4,000; some say $4,000 year
| could easily be obtained.
Il speak of the Pavilion Hotel and Chat
| ham Academy site because 1 would have
| the best Of everything. The barracks lot
| is good. but the location, as a paying
| investment, is rot to be compared
with the former. People acquainted with
/ the value Of store property agree that
stores on the Pavilion Hotel lot would
| rent for double the sum they would en- the
| barracks lot. l forgot to say the offer tC
l rent the hotel was conditional upon its
| being located on the Pavilion Hotel site
/ OF course the best place for the hotel Is
| the place where it will pay the best diyi-
dends.
| AS 10 exchanging the barracks prop
| erty for the Academy AMI Pavilion Hotel
| lots. it would afford the city an OppOr.
| tunity to secure the best location for the
! grandest and nOblest Of all Institutions
| the public schools, the institution tC
/ which we owe everything, ard TO whicl
every American points with pardOnablj
| pride. No city IN the Union has schools
| open on every side with enclosed play
| grounds such as those would be. In my
| opinion the exchange OF the two proper
| ties would be Of great advantage to the
| schools as we'll as to the hotel project"
| Il do not think, in the present state o.
| financial affairs in the North" continued
| MIR. Wood. that it would be possible L
| raise any considerable sum Of money there
| for a hotel in Savannah or elsewhere. eX
l fGbl MfUA JULIUS hb a us "a tllN u AhANANoi
| and even before this could be done the
| building would have to be well under
| way. The amount necessary for the pur
| pose can, believe, be raised in Savan
nah if the people could be fully aroused
| TO the advantages to be derived from hay
| ing an elegant modern hotel. Such hotels
are necessities at the present time. No city
can reap tn advantages Of the moving
| about of the mOneyed men of the country
| unless they can be induced to stop and
| look around. That is the only way they
have Of getting information. Flying
| through the country on fast mail trains
does not impaTJ knowledge of its re-
| sources and opportunities. Few people
who start on Southern trip stop until
! they reach Florida. The reason is thai
/ there are no modern hotels in any Of the
| Southern coast cities. AS I said before, Z
] majority of the travellers in The south arr
! men accustomed to good accOmmOda
| tiOns, who will not stop over In any
| town or city where such are not to be had
| \ new large modern hotel is a necessit!
in savannah. and every day its cOnstruc
ton is delayed the growth of the city b
| retarded"