An iconic Auburn landmark of more than 50 years will soon appear much di\0x93fferent to drivers coming into downtown from South College Street, though its name will still be a part of its replacement.
The Heart of Auburn Inn and Suites will officially close Dec. 16 and will make way for a shopping center anchored by a CVS, said Mike Landers, the hotel's assistant manager.
A sign under the marquee for Fine Garden, a Chinese restaurant operating in the same complex, says Birmingham's Orange Development Inc. will convert the property into a 17,000-square foot shopping center based around the CVS called "The Shoppes at The Heart of Auburn."
The center will consist of two buildings separated by a private drive.
\0x10The north building will host CVS, while the south building will be home to retail shops and restaurants, according to Auburn director of planning Forrest E. Cotten.
The property was sold to CVS approximately three weeks ago by Arvind Patel, the hotel's owner, who owns several area hotels, such as the Lexington Inn by South College Street and East University Drive.
\0x10According to The War Eagle Reader, the Heart of Auburn Inn and Suites opened in 1961 as one of the few lodging options in the city and continued to rack up visitors, particularly for football season, for more than 40 years.
A TWER story recounted the classic Auburn football tale in which Pat Sullivan and his parents watched his Heisman ceremony in 1971 on a television at the old hotel.
"My parents had come down to hear the announcement," Sullivan said to Kenny Smith of The War Eagle Reader. "Our TV went on the blink, so we had to go rent a room at The Heart of Auburn."
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