NEW ORLEANS, LA (November 1, 2010)—Downtown Jackson's King Edward hotel and apartment complex, restored after standing vacant for more than 40 years, has earned two more industry awards in addition to the National Trust 's Preservation Honor Award announced earlier in October.
South Central Construction magazine, a McGraw Hill Construction publication, recently announced it has given its top regional award to the King Edward, one of only two developments in the region to gain the honor. The King Edward was also honored as Best In Category for Best Specialty Project by the magazine.
HRI Properties of New Orleans is majority owner and primary developer of the complex, working with local Jackson partners Watkins Development and former NFL star Deuce McAllister. Clayco of St. Louis was the prime contractor on the project.
According to the blog by Sam Barnes, editor of the magazine, "…the panel unanimously agreed that the restored King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Miss., was the best overall in construction…"
McGraw Hill's South Central Region encompasses Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The awards will be presented at the McGraw Hill Construction luncheon scheduled in Memphis, TN on December 9.
As a double category winner, the King Edward development will be entered into the National Best of 2010 competition to be judged against winners from other regions.
The historic King Edward was renovated into a 186-room Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown hotel and 64 apartments on the upper floors to create the first urban center residence in Jackson. Parking for 187 vehicles is also included in another adjacent historic structure. A Seattle's Best Coffee café opened in January on the street level of the hotel.
The hotel can accommodate a variety of business and social groups with more than 7,000 square foot of meeting space, which includes the restoration of the historic 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 apartment units feature granite counter-tops, hardwood floors, color-coordinated appliances (microwave, range, dishwasher and refrigerator), ceiling fans, full-size washers and dryers in every unit and high speed internet access. The apartments are managed as a single unit with the adjacent 76-unit Standard Life Flats developed by the same team and opened in September.
Clayco is one of the nation's largest, privately owned real estate, architecture and engineering, design/build and construction firms. Clayco is a full-service real estate development, design and construction firm providing design-build project delivery nationwide for corporate, government, industrial, institutional, residential markets, and banking institutions.
About HRI Properties
Based in New Orleans with offices in St. Louis, Missouri, HRI Properties (HRI) is a full-service real estate development company and a national leader in the adaptive reuse of historic structures. HRI's mission is revitalizing cities by creating diverse, vibrant, sustainable communities. HRI has completed 50 large-scale projects, including 4,496 apartment units, 3,487 hotel rooms and more than 500,000 square feet of office and retail space, with a total funding value of $1.4 billion. For more information, go to www.hriproperties.com.