The proposed Courtyard by Marriott in Columbia would break ground in spring, the developer projected in an interview with The Daily Herald last week.

That means the hotel might be open in early 2020, giving Columbia 110 rooms in the heart of the city.

The project would be located at Bear Creek Pike and Nashville Highway, one of the city’s busiest intersections. It would include a conference center and at least one new restaurant.

City Manager Tony Massey and Mayor Dean Dickey support the project whole-heatedly. The tax break package to attract the project has received votes of approval from the city council and endorsements from city and county development boards. The Maury County Commission will take up the issue Monday.

Our report on the hotel was the most popular of the week on the newspaper’s Facebook page. Some readers were glad to hear the site of the former Polk Motel would be turned into an asset, cleaning up an eyesore. Others wondered about the wisdom of building a hotel as such a heavily used intersection.

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At some point in the near future, Bear Creek/43 needs to be four lanes to Interstate 65 and should flyover 31 with off-ramps to handle traffic appropriately, much like what’s been done on 109 at Highway 70 in Lebanon and Highway 96 and 41 in Murfreesboro.

Todd Edwards

Why not put a big hotel/conference center where that empty mall is? Columbia needs to do something about the vacant mall. Why are the landowners keeping that empty and ugly building as is?

Cynthia Zizzi

Traffic will be a mess for at least two years unless it gets a high priority. Couple it with major work at Exit 46 on I-65, and the 31 corridor will be severely impacted. Interesting to see what the traffic design is as this project goes forward. Hope our reps are asking for that before approval is given.

Kenneth Lord

Traffic is only bad for like three hours out of 24 hours.

Steve Dirla

They need to tear all that mess down and put something there. That whole corner has been a hot mess for years.

Pamela Loague

We have enough hotels. Why not use this money to build for people in need? Schools need new buildings. Why worry about new hotel? What about the children?

Ashley Reyes

Good grief, fix the roads people before you build anything else. Traffic can’t flow now.

Ashley Ragsdale

We need a Sam’s Club or Costco close to that area!

Cassie Tramel

The tax breaks concern me.

Vernonica Perez

Going to look better; that’s for sure.

Skip and Jennifer Spencer

The motel should have been bulldozed long ago.

Rosemary Moreo