Huge hotel set to rise by Moscone
32-story tower will cater to conventioneers

Dan Levy, Chronicle Staff Writer

Construction on the biggest San Francisco hotel in nearly 20 years is about to begin on a South of Market site a block away from Moscone Center.

The 550-room InterContinental hotel at Fifth and Howard streets will be geared toward the city's growing convention business and feature 43,000 square feet of ballrooms, meeting rooms and prefunction space.

Rising 32 stories, the upscale $200 million development -- operated by the same group that runs the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill -- will also feature an indoor swimming pool, a fitness club and a spa, all steps from the Moscone West convention hall at Fourth and Howard.

It could open as early as November 2007.

"If you talk to the convention people, they say there will be a room shortage in the coming years," said Leonard Blakesley Jr., executive vice president of project developer Continental Development Corp. in El Segundo (Los Angeles County). "We think we'll be opening up in an up market."

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