Presented by Clemson University
The Shepherd Hotel has successfully demonstrated how the real estate development industry can make a difference in a community and work towards a positive social impact. This luxury six-story hotel was constructed in downtown Clemson, SC, in just over two years. The developers aimed to deliver not only a profitable project but a project that changed the lives of those within the special needs community. This class-A hotel has transformed downtown Clemson while also employing 40 students with disabilities.
The development process was far from simple, and many complications and setbacks had to be overcome. There was a high level of risk because of the small site in a high-profile location with a delivery of a product that hadn’t been seen in the market. There was a lack of comparable hotels in Clemson, which meant they must look at Greenville’s.
market in order to study accurate demographics. The community had a decent amount of pushback initially because of the fear that the downtown culture would experience a shift. With a 65-foot height limit, there had to be an interesting approach to the design of the building. All of these, plus many other issues, meant that the development team had to gather creative solutions throughout the process.
The hotel was an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind project that would not have been possible without the social impact. The developers plan to replicate this model at other universities across the country with the same mission in mind.