John Q. Hammons, for a while a prominent (would-be) developer whose name was on many Lincolnites' lips, has died.
Raise your hand if you remember John Q. Hammons. If you've been around Lincoln for a while, you should. He built the Embassy Suites and he had his eyes on a few other major projects. The most prominent included a proposal for the former Starship 9 location -- now the home of the Larson Building -- and a hotel at 17th and Q that fizzled after the City Council refused to use eminent domain to support the project. Those of you who have been reading this website since 2005 -- holy crap, has it been that long?! -- will recall that I argued vehemently against using eminent domain on the 17th and Q project. Lincoln would be a very different place today had the Council caved to Hammons on that project.
Instead, Hammons gradually faded from local discussion. His influence never took off in Lincoln the way it appeared it might. Still, the decade or so during which he was active in Lincoln was a colorful one. He leaves behind the legacy of the Embassy Suites and a number of indirect influences that helped to boost to a Downtown on the rise.
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He was actively looking at putting in one or more hotels in Lincoln as far back as 1985 - much earlier than when the Embassy Suites came to be. May he RIP.
He sure did a nice job with his hotel properties. It’s been years, but his Holiday Inn in Springfield remains the finest Holiday Inn I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve experienced plenty. And I think the Embassy Suites in Lincoln has won property of the year within the entire ES brand at least a couple of times.
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