Cleveland City Council passes Convention Center Hotel financing plan

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland City Council passed legislation Monday authorizing the city to play a role in financing the Cleveland Convention Center Hotel.

 

Council had planned on tabling the legislation until January, concerned that it did not guarantee adequate parking for guests at the 600-room hotel. The ordinance hit a snag after some members requested that it be amended to promise hotel guests access to a nearby lot.

 

Consultants and architects in recent weeks presented to council members the renderings for the hotel, which will feature 600 rooms in a 27-story tower above a four-story podium.

 

The public areas will include a restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge, retail space and, possibly, a green roof on the lower-slung part of the building and some sort of public space atop the hotel. Plans include 55,000 square feet of meeting space.

 

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2013/12/cleveland_city_council_passes.html#incart_m-rpt-2

The Aloft Beachwood is open.  It boasts a colorful, contemporary style, and an "open concept" lobby - very refreshing.

The Aloft Beachwood is open.  It boasts a colorful, contemporary style, and an "open concept" lobby - very refreshing.

 

I'm not sure that I understand the random neon lights on the outside of the building. For me, it's not so much refreshing as it is puzzling. :wtf:

From just a moment ago, moving quickly on the new Westin

Why this color combo?  Cream, steel-grey & that nasty old brown?

I like everything about this project except the poorly told color story.

 

Why this color combo?  Cream, steel-grey & that nasty old brown?

I like everything about this project except the poorly told color story.

 

The cream and brown are the scheme. The grey will be covered

Summary of downtown hotel developments.....

 

http://clevelandmeetings.wordpress.com/

^ The date listed for the Kimpton is 2016. That seems awfully pessimistic considering the building is already under construction.

 

Why this color combo?  Cream, steel-grey & that nasty old brown?

I like everything about this project except the poorly told color story.

 

The cream and brown are the scheme. The grey will be covered

 

hmm, dubious, but that gives hope. wait and see i'd say.

 

The building will end up being apartments.

The building will end up being apartments.

 

Which building?

The Kimpton

The Kimpton

 

=Schofield

^ The date listed for the Kimpton is 2016. That seems awfully pessimistic considering the building is already under construction.

 

At the pace they are going at it, it might be optimistic...

Does anyone know when work is supposed to begin on the Drury Plaza hotel?

The Kimpton

 

It was always planned to be mixed use -- apartments on the top floors, hotel on the bottom. The completion date we heard last May-June when they restarted work was end of 2014 for the entire project.

 

^ The date listed for the Kimpton is 2016. That seems awfully pessimistic considering the building is already under construction.

 

At the pace they are going at it, it might be optimistic...

 

No kidding. Progress on the facade has been slow. Hopefully there has been real work inside. Can't really tell from the street.

^ It does seem that there is more plastic up each day covering the windows.  So hopefully that means a good amount of work will be done in the winter.

 

As for the Drury, I had the unfortunate experience of staying at one of their properties.  While this was their lower end Inn brand, compared to the Plaza which is what will be going in here, I was less than impressed.  Everything about the hotel seemed cheap.  Also, they do this weird "kickback" thing at all their properties where you can get drinks and crappy food.  I'm really hoping that either they have some new concept they are going to try or some other operator comes in and takes over for them.

I stayed at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago this past weekend, which is a Kimpton hotel.  If the Schofield is going to be anything like the Allegro, I'm incredibly excited.

I stayed at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago this past weekend, which is a Kimpton hotel.  If the Schofield is going to be anything like the Allegro, I'm incredibly excited.

 

OK, why? :)

OK, why? :)

 

I thought that they maintained very tasteful balance between the very contemporary interior design and the historic features of the building.  I'm pretty sure that the Allegro building was always a hotel, so it's not quite apples to apples, but they still did a lot of renovations.  It was a very cool space, but very comfortable and affordable at the same time, and they offer a complimentary wine reception every evening!  If the Schofield turns out similarly, it will definitely appeal to the younger, hipper crowd, and I think it'll be a big asset for downtown.

^ thats great to hear and a good market to target. it will compliment the aloft and the ohio city hostel, which are the same youthful market, but very different alternatives. kind of a more upscale choice.

I guess the one thing I would add (sorry for so many separate posts) is that I wish the Schofield were going to be done in time for the Gay Games.  It would be perfect, and having accommodations like that would leave a very positive impression of the city with a lot of people.

Thanks for the more detailed description. It helps me picture it better.

I've been to the Hotel Burnham in Chicago and the Hotel Monaco in Alexandria.  Both were very nice, but I was especially impressed with the Hotel Burnham.  It seemed that they paid great attention to detail when restoring the building (or at least maintaining it if they didn't have to do much restoring), such as the marble stairs with decorative iron railings going all the way to the top of the skyscraper, while still providing modern conveniences and a very clean hotel.  And we enjoy the wine receptions, too.

 

My wife is very picky about hotels (we usually stay in B&B's), but Kimptons are one of the very few that make the grade for her.

Looks like they are covering the silver part with a white material

 

^This is becoming a much more transformative project than I initially expected.  I'm liking it!

Nice photo! Love the action, urbanity and the building's vertical sensation offered by the new design.

^No, you just love the bus :)

^No, you just love the bus :)

 

I knew some jagoff would suggest that...

Anybody know what's going on with the building across the street from the new Westin? It's boarded up. The Lincoln Building I believe.

Anybody know what's going on with the building across the street from the new Westin? It's boarded up. The Lincoln Building I believe.

 

I believe they are converting the space into a parking garage and that will be new garage entrances. Or it already is parking and they are just making new entrances. I dont remember which.

Anybody know what's going on with the building across the street from the new Westin? It's boarded up. The Lincoln Building I believe.

 

This....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,3594.msg664484.html#msg664484

No DM4 -  pgn711 is referring to the corner part of the Lincoln Building/Parking garage where the Pat Joyce Tavern used to be. Boards went up over those windows in the past couple weeks.  The new entrance to the garage is South of there.  I hope it is going to be a new restaurant or some type of retail to coincide with the Westin opening.

 

I used to work/park in this building up until a few months ago, so I was always up on what was happening.  Unfortunately, I've lost all of my contacts at the building.  Everything at this building happens at a snails pace.  The new entrance to the garage has been under construction since at least December of 2011.

No DM4 -  pgn711 is referring to the corner part of the Lincoln Building/Parking garage where the Pat Joyce Tavern used to be. Boards went up over those windows in the past couple weeks.  The new entrance to the garage is South of there.  I hope it is going to be a new restaurant or some type of retail to coincide with the Westin opening.

 

I used to work/park in this building up until a few months ago, so I was always up on what was happening.  Unfortunately, I've lost all of my contacts at the building.  Everything at this building happens at a snails pace.  The new entrance to the garage has been under construction since at least December of 2011.

 

So just to be clear, the curb cut/new garage entrance are different than the former Taverne on the Mall being boarded up?

RE: Lincoln building/Parking garage at SE corner of E6 & St. Clair:  The very corner of the building on the SE corner of E6/St. Clair used to house Pat Joyce Tavern/Taverne on the Mall.  Boards went up over these windows about 2-3 weeks ago.  Knowing what I know about this building, this corner spot is not conducive to parking and I don't think it will be added to the already existing parking.  It is a very small spot, but may be good for a small cafe, coffee shop or other retail that could feed off the Westin/Druary traffic.

 

The current parking garage entrance is on the south side of St. Clair about half way between E6/E9.  The garage was always in trouble with the City because during busy times, parkers would get backed up on St. Clair, causing traffic jams - The garage is self park for 1st floor, but floors 2-5 are valet ONLY, which really slows things down during crunch times.

 

Since 2011 the garage has been trying to open a new entrance on E6, just south of where Pat Joyce/Taverne on the Mall used to exist.  Ironically, this is the original parking garage entrance - dating back to when the garage was built in the 1920's.  Unfortunately, this area of the garage has been modified so heavily, it is very difficult for the owner to make it the main entrance again - supply pipes, drain pipes, wiring, etc, all must be moved.

 

This is a very old garage - it was built in 1925 and at the time was one of the largest parking garages in the world.

 

Ok, I'll shut up now as this is not really about the Westin, but I feel it is related as this this garage will likely see a renaissance from the Westin, Druary, and convention traffic.

Re: The Westin

I live in Los Angeles and was wondering if the areas where the brick was removed is stone or stucco?  The renovation has definitely refreshed this property.  Is there a treatment coming to hide the parking structure?

Re: The Westin

I live in Los Angeles and was wondering if the areas where the brick was removed is stone or stucco?  The renovation has definitely refreshed this property.  Is there a treatment coming to hide the parking structure?

 

Here is some info on the exterior construction material to be used for Westin:

 

History of EIFS

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exterior_Insulation_Finishing_System

 

EIFS was developed in Europe after World War II and was initially used to retrofit solid masonry walls.[citation needed] EIFS started to be used in North America in the 1960s, and became very popular in the mid- 1970's due to the oil embargo and the resultant surge in interest in high energy efficiency wall systems (such as EIFS provides). The use of EIFS over stud-and-sheathing framing (instead of over solid walls) is a North American technique. EIFS is now used all over North America, and also in many other areas around the world, especially in Europe and the Pacific Rim.

 

Read more: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,26395.350.html#ixzz2ooxDeKwZ

EIFS is a bottom of the barrel material typical of low grade suburban strip malls.  I am mystified at its proposed use for any significant project in a Downtown locale.

EIFS is a bottom of the barrel material typical of low grade suburban strip malls.  I am mystified at its proposed use for any significant project in a Downtown locale.

 

Agreed. It's cheap and can lead to significant moisture infiltration, which can then lead to mold issues, if not installed properly.

Looks like they are covering the silver part with a white material

 

 

Or they are just removing the protective film that typically arrives with the Alucobond or similar metal panel system.

Does anyone know which art piece was approved by the City and Land-Studio for the exterior? I believe there were two options

Demolition starts at historic church near Cleveland Clinic, after records, artifacts are removed (gallery)

 

Once the property is cleared, the diocese will sell it to the Cleveland Clinic, which plans to build a 275-room Holiday Inn hotel on the site.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/demolition_starts_at_historic.html#incart_river

No DM4 -  pgn711 is referring to the corner part of the Lincoln Building/Parking garage where the Pat Joyce Tavern used to be. Boards went up over those windows in the past couple weeks.  The new entrance to the garage is South of there.  I hope it is going to be a new restaurant or some type of retail to coincide with the Westin opening.

 

I used to work/park in this building up until a few months ago, so I was always up on what was happening.  Unfortunately, I've lost all of my contacts at the building.  Everything at this building happens at a snails pace.  The new entrance to the garage has been under construction since at least December of 2011.

 

So just to be clear, the curb cut/new garage entrance are different than the former Taverne on the Mall being boarded up?

 

Looks like we have our answer! This article was also posted in the Random Developments thread. But I'm excited it's more than just creating another parking garage entrance.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/lincoln_building_revamp_builds.html#incart_more_business

Early work to begin on turning former Cleveland school district HQ into Drury hotel

 

Workers have installed black chain link fences around the former administration building of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District at 1380 E. Sixth St. in downtown Cleveland, but its makeover as a hotel will not get into gear for several months.

 

Look for more cleanup and asbestos abatement crews to be working on the building soon, said Dennis Vollink, president of St. Louis-based Drury Hotels Southwest. However, construction work for the proposed Drury Plaza Hotel may not begin in earnest until next summer, Mr. Vollink said.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20140117/FREE/140119804

^I thought it was odd that they constructed what appears to be a permanent chain link fence for this project instead of the temporary fences typically found around a construction site.  That tells me that they plan to be working on this thing for a very long time.  Can anyone in the industry shed some light on the fence choice?  Or am I looking too much into it?

^What makes you think the are permanent? Are the posts set in concrete?

I just hope they are not allowed to cut down any of those trees.

^I thought it was odd that they constructed what appears to be a permanent chain link fence for this project instead of the temporary fences typically found around a construction site.  That tells me that they plan to be working on this thing for a very long time.  Can anyone in the industry shed some light on the fence choice?  Or am I looking too much into it?

 

Total guess here..... but the materials inside that building might be a scrapper's paradise given it's age and style

^What makes you think the are permanent? Are the posts set in concrete?

 

I don't know if they are set in concrete, but they are definitely driven into the ground.  Unlike a typical construction fence that would just rest on top of the ground.

 

Total guess here..... but the materials inside that building might be a scrapper's paradise given it's age and style

 

If they're trying to keep people out they aren't doing a very good job.  When I drove by earlier this week there were 3 teens skating inside the fence.

Here is an update of my Downtown hotel list.  Last update was on December 9, 2012, though I may have done one more recently that may have gotten lost in the great data crash. In the December 2012 post, I had a grand total of operating and under construction/advanced planning hotel rooms at 4,894 rooms in Downtown, Midtown, and University Circle.  That number is much bigger now. See below.

 

“Suites” are counted as “rooms” for this purpose.

 

HOTEL ROOMS AS OF JANUARY 17, 2014

 

DOWNTOWN (to E. 36 St.)

 

Operating:

 

Aloft - 150 Rooms

Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center – 400 rooms

Comfort Inn – Downtown – 130 rooms

DoubleTree by Hilton Cleveland Downtown – Lakeside – 374 rooms + 5 suites

Hampton Inn - Cleveland Downtown – 194 rooms

Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Downtown – 232 + 8 suites

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cleveland – Downtown-141 rooms + 25 suites

Hyatt Regency Cleveland at The Arcade – 293 rooms

Renaissance Cleveland Hotel- 441 rooms + 50 suites

Ritz Carlton – 205 rooms

Radisson Hotel Cleveland-Gateway - 142 rooms

Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square - 173 rooms + 32 suites

Residence Inn by Marriott - Cleveland Downtown - 175 suites

University Hotel & Suites (36th & Euclid) – 161 rooms

 

Under Construction / Site Prep / Advanced Planning or Funding:

 

Westin Cleveland Convention Center Hotel - 481 Rooms

Kimpton - 161 Rooms

Autograph at the 9 / Bruer – 156 Rooms

Drury Board of Education – 225 Rooms

Hilton Cleveland Convention Center– 600 Rooms

Le Meridien JHB - 206 Rooms

Crowne Plaza - Cle Athletic Club - 195 Rooms

 

Downtown TOTAL (Operating and Not Yet Operating):  5355

 

 

MIDTOWN (E. 36 to E. 105)

 

Operating:

 

Intercontinental Hotel (98th & Carnegie) 299 rooms + 23 suites

Intercontinental Suites (88th & Euclid) - 162 suites

 

Under Construction / Site Prep / Advanced Planning or Funding

 

Holiday Inn-Cle Clinic – 275 Rooms

 

Midtown TOTAL (Operating and Not Yet Operating): 759

 

 

UNIVERSITY CIRCLE

 

Operating:

 

Tudor Arms (Doubletree) (107 & Carnegie) – 154 rooms

Glidden House – 60 rooms

Marriott Courtyard—University Circle - 153 Rooms

 

Under Construction / Site Prep / Advanced Planning or Funding

 

None

 

Univ Circle TOTAL (Operating and Not Yet Operating): 367

 

 

TOTALS:

Operating

 

Downtown 3331

Midtown    484

Univ Circle   367

Subtotal 4182

Under Construction / Site Prep / Advanced Planning or Funding

 

Downtown 2024

Midtown   275

Univ Circle       0

Subtotal 2299

 

 

GRAND TOTAL:  6481

 

Compared to 4939 in December 2012, that’s a 31% increase!