Nov. 21--Downtown Meridian's Union Station meeting room was packed beyond capacity Thursday night as more than 200 residents came to hear arguments for both sides of the downtown hotel controversy.

The debate centers around competing proposals for downtown hotels designed to complement the conference facilities at the Mississippi State University-Riley Center for the performing arts. HRI Properties' Threefoot hotel proposal would transform the deteriorating Threefoot building into a Courtyard by Marriott hotel. Lala Enterprises' proposal would demolish several buildings downtown and erect a brand new Hyatt Place hotel and banquet hall.

Lala Enterprises has said they will not build their hotel unless the Meridian City Council votes not to pursue the Threefoot project, which would be funded in part by a loan guaranteed by the city.

After Thursday's meeting, Downtown Association President Brandon Pratt said he is still undecided because he sees a fairly equal amount of pros and cons for both projects.

"I don't envy the council for the decision they have to make," Pratt said.

Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith and developers for each project gave presentations to an energized crowd -- all anxious to see the project that is best for Meridian take place, but in disagreement, and in many cases undecided, about which project that might be.

City council members including Mary Perry (Ward 2), Barbara Henson (Ward 3), and John Harris (Ward 5) were present, hoping to gauge the public opinion before casting their vote, and survey and comment sheets were provided to all present so that each audience member to make their opinion clear. The meeting was hosted by Harris.

Public opinion at the meeting seemed fairly divided. If the council had any plans to make their decision based on which presentation got the loudest claps, they're out of luck -- all the presentations got considerable applause.

Perhaps the presentation that got the most response in general was that of HRI, which received both negative and positive audience comments in the middle of the presentation. Some audience members became jeered when HRI CEO Pres Kabakoff that he didn't think that "getting rid of the Threefoot building" was the way to go -- audience members quickly reminded him that Lala Enterprises had said they did not want the Threefoot building to be destroyed.

When HRI Project Manager Josh Colin mentioned that the Threefoot project would include the demolition of the dilapidated parking garage that abuts the building, much of the audience responded with loud cheers.

Audience members left the presentation with widely varied opinions. One woman asked Lala Enterprises President Abdul Lala why both projects could not be pursued, saying, "Making it an either/or might not be in the best interest of this city."

Local downtown business owner Lara Hammond agreed that both projects would be good for Meridian, but thought that each could use some tweaking. She said she would like to see the Threefoot building renovated into an upscale hotel with room nights in the area of $300, which she thought could be set off by another, more affordable, downtown hotel in a new building with room rates closer to $100.

Wayne Williams, another downtown business owner, cheered on the Threefoot idea, saying "Threefoot building! Threefoot building! Threefoot building!" He said he supports the project because he loves Meridian and is a strong advocate of downtown.

"The Threefoot building is Meridian's crown jewel," he said. "It's dire... Both hotel chains are about the same quality, so it's not quality that's an issue. It's who's helping restore downtown."

Pratt was among the many who left undecided, seeing benefits of both. IIn one way, Pratt said, the Threefoot project looks best because the city already owns the Threefoot building and needs to find something to do with it and because a commissioned study has recommended the project as part of a chain of events needed to revitalize downtown, because it restores a historic building, and because it has years of research behind it.

In another way, he said, Lala's proposal looks better because it requires no public investment, because the accompanying banquet space will be up and running more quickly, because he knows that building from scratch is more efficient economically than restoration, and because of Lala's many other successful hotels here in Meridian.

Either way, he said, "Downtown will ultimately win."

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