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Hammons Break Ground Again in North Carolina

Mr. John Q. Hammons and the city of Concord, N.C., today celebrated the groundbreaking of the new $60 million, 308-suite Embassy Suites Hotel and adjoining 75,000-square-foot convention center. Slated to open in 2006 and owned by Mr. Hammons, the new hotel and convention center will provide nearly 90,000 gross square feet of meeting space and will overlook the city-owned Rocky River Golf Club. Both properties will be managed by Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC, the nation’s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites. The hotel will be the fifth John Q. Hammons property in North Carolina, and the convention center will be the first of its kind in Concord. Mr. Hammons and John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts continue to invest in North Carolina because they feel the state is one of the best centers for growth in the country.
“This metropolitan area is seeing extensive commercial and industrial growth, making Concord a premier destination for business and leisure travelers,” said Mr. John Q. Hammons, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC. “The addition of a convention center and full-service hotel will prove to be very beneficial in meeting the needs of both travelers and businesses. I am confident that the Embassy Suites Hotel Concord’s upscale accommodations and prime location and the convention center’s vast, flexible meeting space will meet those needs and exceed expectations.”
The hotel site is strategically located east of Interstate 85 and north of Interstate 485, less than a mile from the popular Concord Mills Mall, the 167,000-seat Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Concord Regional Airport. Demand generators such as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the world headquarters of Philip Morris are also within three miles of the property.
“The construction of the Concord Convention Center will add another asset to our economic development package,” said Concord Mayor Scott Padgett. “The Concord City Council has worked diligently with Mr. Hammons to ensure this facility will meet the needs of our citizens and the thousands of tourists and business travelers who will use it.”
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