1988
The development of a hotel in downtown Decatur was, according to the Town Center Plan, an important component of the city’s economic future. Working with a group of local investors, the City Commission and the DDA crafted a creative mix of public and private funding to attract a Holiday Inn franchise that opened in 1988.
The DDA constructed the conference center and parking deck adjacent to the hotel, bringing a much needed meeting and special-event facility to the community. Today, the hotel itself has been fully refurbished and is now operated as a Marriott Courtyard.
![The Clairemont streetscape as it appeared prior to the Holiday Inn's construction.](https://www.decaturnext.com/wp-content/uploads/1988/05/Holiday-Inn-Streetscape.jpg)
The Clairemont streetscape as it appeared prior to the Holiday Inn’s construction.
![Ribbon cutting, 1988.](https://www.decaturnext.com/wp-content/uploads/1988/05/Holiday-Inn-Ribbon-Cutting.jpg)
Ribbon cutting, 1988.