New hotel planned at 63/70 interchange in Columbia

A new hotel could soon replace the Howard Johnson in northeast Columbia.

Drury Hotels submitted plans for a hotel on the lot off I-70 Drive Southeast in June and, according to senior building-plan reviewer Nina Hennkens, the hotel has been approved by the city.

Drury Hotels was set to pick up the building permit Tuesday.

The hotel conglomerate also has been issued a demolition permit for the Howard Johnson hotel.

ABC17 News dug through development plans at city hall Wednesday and found the hotel will have eight floors and 210 rooms. It will have a standard first floor with meeting rooms and a pool.

Drury Hotels has not returned calls by ABC17 News this afternoon to find out why it decided to build a second location in the same town: the original location is off Stadium Boulevard by the Columbia Mall.