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1 Sorensen, hoteliers j joust over USC hotel Sorensen wants to build a university hotel for the National Advocacy Center, but hotel owners resist. BY BRIAN RAY THE GAMECOCK In July, USC and the University Neighborhood Association reached an agreement that allows USC to build a hotel for the National Advocacy Center. If ap proved by the City Council and other planning commissions, USC might demolish two student park ing lots and a faculty lot, totaling 300 parking spaces, to build the hotel. “There had to be trade-offs,” said USC President Andrew Sorensen. “I’m aware of the fact that we’ve got a horrific parking problem.” Local hotel owners met a week following the announcement to protest the inn, saying it would take away a third of their busi ness. They also said that the uni versity has worked hard to ex clude them from discussions about the inn, and that Sorensen told them if the inn threatens their hotels, they should work harder to improve the quality. “He believed that USC’s hotel wouldn’t hurt us,” said Robert Wislinski, spokesman for the Greater-Columbia Hotel and Motel Association, “but if it did, it was their market, their land, their school. They would do what they wanted.” Wislinski also said that Sorensen told hotel owners this inn could be the first of many ho tels USC might build. USC denies this claim. USC spokesman Russ McKinney said hotel owners fail to see how the inn would benefit the university. He said a hotel would be an important bargain I ing chip for potential teachers and students who perform well in aca demics or sports. Dozens of col leges across the United States have hotels, McKinney said. “If Clemson can have a hotel on its campus, then it’s appropriM for us to have one,” Sorensen sai« Wislinski said USC actually has planned two hotel sites, one next to the NAC and another on Senate Street. The second hotel will be used as a backup if a com mittee down the administrative line rejects the agreement, he said. The backup hotel is the vision of a group of private investors head ed by former USC chief of staff Lyles Glenn. He also said there’s nothing to stop USC from building both ho tels, so the Hospitality Association of South Carolina and the hotel owners association plan to contest the second hotel in court. City Council member Anne: Sinclair said that hotel owners lobbied the South Carolii^ General Assembly for a bfl against the USC inn, but the bill did not make it out of committee hearings. Sinclair, who organized nego tiations between the university and the neighborhood association, said there are other benefits to the agreement. She said USC is re quired by the agreement to help preserve, renovate and maintain three historic but abandoned buildings on Pendleton Street. Sinclair said that the Kirkland Apartments would be renovated to house visiting faculty for ex tended periods of time, the Black House will serve as a lobby for the inn and a wood frame cottage will be relocated and sold to the neigh borhood as a regular house. Comments on this story?E-mail ~ gamecockudesk@hotmail.com PHOTO BY BRIAN RAY/THE GAMECOCK USC President Andrew Sorensen wants to build a lobby for the proposed USC inn here, at the Black House on Pendleton Street where. The historic building would have to be renovated. Here’s the church, here’s the steeple... Open the doors & here are the people... waiting for you at Shandon United Methodist. Find your way to a church home while you’re here in Columbia. We offer: • Lifeline -H a casual, contemporary, upbeat service with a cool band & breakfast snacks at 10:00 am on Sundays • Traditional Worship - stirring music & a friendly atmosphere in a traditional setting at 9:00 & 11:15 am on Sundays • Weekly Bible Study for college students SHcHIDOITL United Methodist 3407 Devine Street, next to Dreher High School 8o3-256-8383 www.shandon~umc.org find,your way J Canterbury Of Columbia An Episcopal Ministry with Young Adults • Trinity Episcopal Cathedral • Corner of Sumter and Gervais Streets, easy walking from USC, two blocks from the Horseshoe-across from the State House. • Every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. • Worship, learn, help others, hang out. free home-cooked meals. For more information: Margaret Lumpkin Peer Minister call 256-8602 e-mail malumpkin@hotmail.com Joseph Whitehurst Peer Minister e-mail JosephWhitehurst@hotmail.com .-..;.....-.. Amanda Goldson Peer Minister e-mail USCAmandaG1@aol.com Father Frederick C. Byrd Chaplain Call 771-7800 email frebyr@aol.com s .