developments were mostly suburban in nature and was not conductive to improvements in downtown Huntington. A Holiday Inn was constructed adjacent to the Big Sandy Superstore Arena between 8th and 9th Street in 1998. Intermodal facility In 1998, $27 million for an intermodal facility was appropriated from Congress; an additional $6.7 million came from state and local funding. Then Governor Cecil Underwood had promised $700,000 in 1999, with local lawmakers funding the additional $1.3 million; an additional $4 million was to be allocated from the state over the next two years. The proposed facility was for a Tri-State Transit Authority (TTA) bus transfer station, retail development and associated parking structures and would occupy a two-block surface parking lot between 8th Street and 10th Street along 3rd Avenue. A later study by Woolpert suggested at least of retail and a parking structure that has 800 to 1,400 spaces. Yet another study suggested that retail, entertainment, dining, housing, cultural, and educational aspects be included in the project. A ground breaking ceremony was planned in early 2000 with initial completion of the project in 2001. In order to complete the Superblock, Chi-Chi's would need to be evicted; however, it was granted an opportunity to have a restaurant within the proposed development. Chi-Chi's refused to leave the Superblock, however, citing that they wanted to "upgrade and remodel" the restaurant. In 1999, Robert C. Byrd allocated $8 million to federal appropriation bills for the Superblock project. Another $400,000 was allocated from the Federal Transit Administration to the Huntington Transit Authority for the feasibility study and master plan for the intermodal facility. Pullman Square On September 30, 1999, it was announced that the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority was in negotiations with the Transit Authority and an unnamed Columbus, Ohio developer for the Superblock. In early October, President Bill Clinton signed the Transportation Appropriations bill, which provided an additional $12 million in funds for the intermodal facility. On October 18, 2000, Steiner + Associates (dropped in favor of Metropolitan Partners with the same developers), a Columbus, Ohio developer that specializes in recreating downtown urban environments, announced a $60 million . retail and entertainment complex between 10th streets and 3rd Avenue and Veterans Memorial Boulevard that would resemble an "old-time small town" and would fit within the "historic context of the existing downtown." The developers had previously constructed similar developments in Newport, Kentucky with the completion of Newport