Historic King Edward Opens as Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Jackson, MS

$90 million Hilton Garden Inn hotel & King Edward apartments revitalize historic neighborhood

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. December 29, 2009

JACKSON, MS (December, 2009) — With a celebratory snip of the ceremonial scissors, Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson inaugurated a new life for a historic building and a new age for Jackson's downtown area.

“This is a great day for Jackson and a great day for Jacksonians,” said Mayor Johnson in his remarks prior to cutting the ribbon at the foot of the restored grand staircase in the soaring lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Jackson at the historic King Edward building.

Mayor Johnson was joined in the historic occasion by a group of local, state and financial officials, including: Pres Kabacoff, co-chairman, HRI Properties, majority owner and primary developer; David Watkins, Watkins Partners; Deuce McAllister; Bishop Ronnie Crudup, chairman, Jackson Redevelopment Authority; Frank Bluntson, City Council President; Margaret C. Barrett-Simon, City Council member, Ward 7; Gary Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority and Mississippi Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant.

Closed and vacant for some 40 years, the King Edward building today stands completely restored, offering 186 rooms under the Hilton Garden Inn and 64 luxury apartments on the top floors, representing a total investment of $90 million in Jackson's downtown.

The King Edward project is majority owned by HRI Properties of New Orleans, a pioneer and national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic structures and the revitalization of downtown centers. HRI partnered in the project with Jackson developer David Watkins and Jackson native, former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister.

“We are thrilled to bring the King Edward back to commerce as the premier hotel in downtown Jackson,” said Watkins. He has led the local effort to redevelop the King Edward since at least 2004. “This is the work of a lifetime for me personally and a landmark moment in the history of downtown Jackson,” he added.

Following years of frustration in seeing the landmark downtown hotel lie fallow, Watkins recruited HRI Properties of New Orleans, one of the nation's pioneers in the adaptive reuse and redevelopment of historic properties and the revitalization of urban centers.

“We expect the King Edward and Standard Life buildings will create a neighborhood in downtown Jackson that will attract residents who themselves create opportunities for businesses like restaurants and retailers to establish and prosper. The lifestyle and business synergies combine to create high-demand neighborhoods that elevate the value of property and the entire image of a city,” said HRI's Kabacoff. “This model has worked in New Orleans and in St. Louis to great success, and we are confident it will be duplicated in downtown Jackson,” Kabacoff added.

The hotel features a 24-hour Pavilion Pantry convenience mart, the King Edward Grill restaurant and King Edward Bar. A fitness center, pool and spa are also available for guests to work off the results of fine dining in the hotel restaurant.

The Hilton Garden Inn at King Edward also offers a Seattle's Best Coffee cafe. Founded in 1970, Seattle's Best Coffee has more than 550 specialty coffee cafes, kiosks and other concepts in the U.S. Its coffee is available nationwide in supermarkets and at more than 15,000 foodservice locations, such as college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines and cruise lines.

The hotel is designed to accommodate groups with approximately 5,000 square foot of meeting space, which includes the restoration of the Grand Ballroom. Many of the elements of the hotel have been intricately restored back to their original grandeur including the rotunda, pre-function spaces and its neo-classical exterior, which was a famed Jackson landmark since the building was opened in 1923.

The 64 apartments, 43 of which have already been leased, feature HRI's upscale residential amenity package that includes granite countertops; hardwood floors; fully equipped GE kitchens with microwave, range, dishwasher and refrigerator; ceiling fans and full-size washers and dryers in every unit.

Beyond access to hotel services, common area amenities include a rooftop pool and terrace with a large community room for private functions, state of the art fitness center, on-site property management and secure parking in the adjacent garage. Residents will be able to park in the garage with direct access to the apartment elevator lobby. The units will enjoy stunning views of downtown Jackson with large windows and 10-foot ceilings.

The King Edward apartments will soon be joined by another 76 luxury rental units in the adjacent Standard Life Building, which is also majority owned by HRI Properties. Standard Life apartments are being developed and managed as an integrated operating unit with King Edward. The Standard Life financing of $33.5 million increases the total investment in downtown Jackson to $123 million in the combined King Edward/Standard Life development.

“Adding 76 apartment units in Standard Life to the 64 completed in the King Edward increases the density and critical mass that will draw more residents to downtown Jackson and help transform this area into a vibrant residential, retail, dining and entertainment neighborhood,” said Kabacoff.

The Design-Build contractor for the King Edward construction is Clayco Construction of St. Louis, MO, one of the largest privately owned construction firms in the U.S. The interior renovation of the hotel was designed by Forum Studio of St. Louis in conjunction with Thomas Hamilton & Associates of Richmond, VA.

The combined project has been made possible by the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, the City of Jackson, the Mississippi Development Authority, the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Hinds County. Financing comes from Chevron Tax Credit Investments, Inc., Tax Credit Capital, Inc., Capitol One Bank, Trustmark Bank, Whitney Bank, First Bank and Trust, First NBC Bank, National New Markets Fund, and the National Cities Fund.