You do not want a convention-sized hotel announced until after financing has closed and construction is well underway on the Kimpton, Le Meridian, etc.. Financing is hard enough without banks and investors thinking the market will soon be infused with hundreds of new rooms.

^Very much agree...and with that said would really like to know what is going on with the Kimpton.

Goodbye ugly facade!

That area is going to look really freshened up with two new major facades going up -- this hotel and the federal building.

 

EDIT: Although I posted this picture on the previous, page I think it would be helpful to have it next to some pictures of what the building looks like now, even though is already partially stripped....

 

Yah!!!  :clap:

Do you guys think it is time for the Westin Hotel to it's own thread apart from general hotel Development?

Nah. If they were building a new one, yes. But not for a facelift that doesn't appear to have generated enough discussion to warrant a separate thread. At least that's my opinion.

 

The federal building facelift is much larger in size and cost ($120 million), and also has an added element of being controversial (does the cost savings justify the capital expense?). So that discussion is on its fourth page and the project is just getting visibly underway.

I wonder if that cutout on the western wall of the Westin render leaves open the possibility of a future connection to the CC. I haven't heard anything new on that recently.

^ I always worry about that when I see that cut out.  What are they thinking 3 stories?

IIRC there is already an underground connection to the CC, unless that has been changed with the reconstruction.

I don't think the cut out is related to a future CC connector.  The cut out is part of the parking deck.  There's probably a better chance a connecting skybridge would come off the end of the hallway - the long skinny windows to the left of the cut out in the rendering.  Otherwise, they'd have to reorganize the parking pattern.

Update from December 24th ...

 

In Beachwood, the Aloft construction sign is up, and two cinder block looking support structures are rising from the ground.

A couple birds-eye photos of the Westin conversion progress.  These guys are doing some crazy stuff - taking down the old facade in a very random and sometimes very dangerous looking way.  Without exaggerating, the ground is shaking like a minor earthquake on a regular basis from large items dropping from the building.  I've not seen this kind of conversion, so I don't know if this is normal or not...  Seems EXCEPTIONALLY labor intensive, random and like an accident waiting to happen (from my non-industry view)...The workers will cut away large portions of brick and then there is a very large noise and ground shaking.  When the took the ugly glass shield off the entrance the team first tried to pull it off with straps attached to machinery and then attempted to smash it and finally just knocked it down in a glorious boom and explosion sound.  Wish I had video of that one... 

 

Bottom line, it is a LOT of fun to watch this thing in full swing from my office window...

 

 

Cool pictures. Here's what it looks like just a second ago!

That building was always up there as one of the ugliest building downtown IMO. Hopefully this helps it out a little.

The one somewhat redeeming feature of that ugly building is that the parking garage is integrated into the tower.  Much better than the stand alone garages attached to most of the the post war office towers downtown, which each totally kill half a block of streetscape.

The one somewhat redeeming feature of that ugly building is that the parking garage is integrated into the tower.  Much better than the stand alone garages attached to most of the the post war office towers downtown, which each totally kill half a block of streetscape.

 

Definitely Agree. The East 9th towers all destroy the surrounding side streets with their garages.

The one somewhat redeeming feature of that ugly building is that the parking garage is integrated into the tower.  Much better than the stand alone garages attached to most of the the post war office towers downtown, which each totally kill half a block of streetscape.

 

Definitely Agree. The East 9th towers all destroy the surrounding side streets with their garages.

 

I would agree if this garage had some kind of lobby or retail on the ground floor integrated into the garage. As it stands (and will stand), the area around the base is just as dead as those side streets off E. 9th.

^Not sure I follow...won't the hotel lobby (and presumably any hotel restaurant) be on the ground floor of the building?  I'll take that any day over the ground floor of most garages downtown.  And just so I'm not crazy, the garage immediately north of the hotel is associated with the Penton Media Building, not the hotel, correct?

^ Correct about the Penton Media Building Garage

The one somewhat redeeming feature of that ugly building is that the parking garage is integrated into the tower.  Much better than the stand alone garages attached to most of the the post war office towers downtown, which each totally kill half a block of streetscape.

 

Definitely Agree. The East 9th towers all destroy the surrounding side streets with their garages.

 

I would agree if this garage had some kind of lobby or retail on the ground floor integrated into the garage. As it stands (and will stand), the area around the base is just as dead as those side streets off E. 9th.

 

There is ground floor lobby and retail, then IIRC 4/5 floors of parking then the hotel on top.  I just remembered there use to be a rooftop deck on the east 6th street side.

There is ground floor lobby and retail, then IIRC 4/5 floors of parking then the hotel on top.  I just remembered there use to be a rooftop deck on the east 6th street side.

 

You guys are right. My mistake. I quickly skimmed over the photos and didn't see it. I retract my comment.

Mendo, 

 

Regarding your comment  "I would agree if this garage had some kind of lobby or retail on the ground floor integrated into the garage. As it stands (and will stand), the area around the base is just as dead as those side streets off E. 9th."

 

The first level of the hotel parking garage is on the second floor, leaving the entire first floor as public spaces, check in, lounge, elevator lobbies, etc. - with the garage above.   As ugly as the building was, it at least had a moderate, if lame,  presence on the street.  I'm hopeful for the way Westin addresses the pedestrian experience at street level to be a major improvement. 

 

 

Heavy equipment and dumpsters appear to be on site now to begin tranformation of the current Clarion at 271/Chagrin in Beachwood into a dual Hotel Indigo wing/Clarion wing property.

Loews Coming to Cleveland?

 

I found this by accident. Cleveland is on Loews Hotel's list of expansion cities.

 

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/aboutus/development

Loews Coming to Cleveland?

 

I found this by accident. Cleveland is on Loews Hotel's list of expansion cities.

 

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/aboutus/development

 

So after I got done looking up photos of Scarlett Johansson, I did a Google search on "Loews Cleveland Ohio" and came up with nothing other than the page linked above. So at this point this sounds more like a wish by Loews than anything planned.

 

BTW, thanks for the find. That's worth keeping an eye on.

...

 

Westin behind schedule

 

Legal problems of financier Zai impact Crowne Plaza redo

 

By STAN BULLARD

[email protected]

4:30 am, January 14, 2013

 

The $70 million conversion of the former Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Cleveland to a Westin is behind its original schedule, in part because of the legal entanglements of A. Eddy Zai, disgraced founder of the Cleveland International Fund.

 

http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20130114/SUB1/301149978

 

 

^I wonder what the design changes are

^I wonder what the design changes are

 

From the article.

Originally, Mr. Schochet said, the start of construction was delayed because Optima and partner-operator Sage Hospitality of Denver made changes that Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the Westin franchiser, wanted as part of a new Westin design standard.

 

I see this as a good thing.  I'm thinking this is the worst case scenario delay.

^Yeah, that part of the article is what made me wonder. The only reference I could find online to something new in terms of new design was in reference to their new fitness studios - but that was from a year ago and I really am not motivated enough to search any further 

From Michelle via twitter: "@mjarboe: Signage, entrance work, outdoor dining area, etc. for new Westin/former Crowne Plaza in downtown #CLE on City Planning agenda for Friday."

 

If there are renderings with this we might see what design changes there are. If they're exterior

^Yeah, that part of the article is what made me wonder. The only reference I could find online to something new in terms of new design was in reference to their new fitness studios - but that was from a year ago and I really am not motivated enough to search any further 

 

The rooms design scheme.  They changed it once in the early 2000's, which you see on their website.  IIRC, the Westin Philly was one of the first to get it.  That property was hideous.  Just look at room pictures for the Westin Philly, Michigan Avenue, Fort Lauderdale Beach, or Bonaventure (Los Angeles).

 

Hopefully the new design scheme is similar.

re: Westin on St. Clair - I can tell you the demolition crew is busting their a$$'s to get this thing moving.  My office window overlooks the project and this is my first hand observation...Watching how labor intensive this thing is, I can't help but wonder if it would have just been easier/cheaper/faster to implode this 1970's piece of crap and start from scratch...watching the demo team rip the 1970's crap bricks off one at a time is amusing.

Interesting tidbit about those bricks - like 800 Superior, they were installed using Sera-bond (aka crappy adhesive-like material). Not long after, every now and then a brick would pop off the facade. At some point, the bricks were re-installed using a much more hardy material - maybe that's why?

No renderings but this was on the agenda:

"Ordinance No. 1726-12(Ward 3/Councilman Cimperman): Authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to issue a permit to OPTIMA 777, LLC to encroach into the public right-of-way of East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue by installing, using, and maintaining an entrance canopy, 10 bollards and auto drop zone on St. Clair Avenue, outdoor dining area on East 6th Street, entrance canopy and sign on East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue, sidewalk planter on St. Clair Avenue and flag poles, piers, stairwell enclosure and metal façade on East 6th and St. Clair Avenue."

drove down Richmond past the new Aloft in Beachwood this morning. Looks like they have one floor of concrete elevator core, and half a buildings worth of the first floor frame up plus heavy equitment all around

http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2013/01/17/westin-cleveland-downtown-set-open-spring-2014?page=0,0

 

Very cool

^ Yeah, very cool. The article links to a new website for the hotel too, which has a larger rendering.

 

http://www.westincleveland.com/

 

edit: Here's a direct link to the rendering. Looks pretty good. The blade sign for the Urban Farmer restaurant looks odd. But overall a good update to probably the ugliest building downtown.

 

http://www.westincleveland.com/NewWestinClevelandRendering-web.jpg

^^Thanks for posting! Some interesting new (to me, at least) info in there, including:

 

Sage is working with Cleveland’s LAND Studio to commission more than 1,000 pieces by local artists that reflect the highly industrious and creative nature of Cleveland. The art will hang throughout the hotel, including a major sculpture above the main entrance.

 

and

 

Adjacent to the hotel will be a modern farm to table steakhouse. Denver-based Sage Restaurant Group and restaurateur Peter Karpinski will introduce Urban Farmer – Cleveland’s Steakhouse to the local community. This will be the second outpost of their award winning Urban Farmer in Portland, OR, which focuses on serving local, organically sourced food from the regions farmers, ranchers and foragers. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

 

And per the agenda item, the outside seating on East 6th will be a great addition to that somewhat forlorn block.

I haven't been down in that area for quite a while but according to the rendering the building across the street could use a cleaning.

I haven't been down in that area for quite a while but according to the rendering the building across the street could use a cleaning.

 

I think the rendering of the building accross the street is actually cleaner than what it truly is :evil:

I haven't been down in that area for quite a while but according to the rendering the building across the street could use a cleaning.

 

It was being renovated at one point, but works seems to have stalled.  Hopefully it will proceed again at some point.

Westin Update: Latest demo photos from Thursday, January 17, 2013.  It is a lot of fun to watch the demo and try to see how the conversion will look in the end.  Sadly, my office is moving a couple blocks East in August 2013, so I won't get to watch the last part of the new construction.

 

Does anyone know what is in the two floors above the parking decks?  Presumably a ballroom?  My senior prom dance was held here in 1985 and I remember a large ballroom...

Q4 update...Ameritrust/1010 not included in the 1,165 total units expected nor is phase 2 of FEB

 

http://www.downtowncleveland.com/media/82160/q4_2012_final.pdf

 

jjames posted this link in the downtown residences thread.  Also has some impressive hotel occupancy data:

 

Hotel occupancy increased to 80.3% percent in October, marking a 5.7 percent improvement over September and a 17.5% improvement over October 2011.

 

I don't know why they picked October in the Q4 report-- could be cherry picked to look especially good, but hopefully its a sign hotel occupancy is getting high enough to make some of these projects get off the ground.

That 80% seems pretty high...isn't occupancy in most Midwest cities in the low 60% range as a norm? 

I would think last October would have been in the 60% range...and an occupancy rate of 80% in October 2012 would be a 33% increase over 60%.....

I hope I'm wrong, though!

Well, Crowne Plaza is off the market, as well as Embassy Suites.  Add a dip in supply to an increase in visitors due to the casino, I can see a bump. 

I'm too lazy to look, but I wonder if there were more home games for the Browns this October vs. last.

Well, we did lose 600 hotel rooms to rehab jobs -- one going from a Sheraton to a Westin, and the other going from an Embassy Suites to a Reserve Square apartment building. I couldn't tell you what impact that may have had on the hotel occupancy.

Well, we did lose 600 hotel rooms to rehab jobs -- one going from a Sheraton to a Westin, and the other going from an Embassy Suites to a Reserve Square apartment building. I couldn't tell you what impact that may have had on the hotel occupancy.

 

In addition, the casino is booking rooms and as leisure travel increases to the city, the occupancy rate goes up.

I recall some visitors complaining that they couldn't get weekend hotel rooms several weeks in advance. I suspect that's due to the casino blocking out rooms for its own use.