Glad the response to these renderings are a bit more positive than they were initially. I really love this building!

I have really grown to like this building too.  I even like the orientation along the mall away from the Justice Center.  I think the key is going to be how the two different glass facades interact and contrast with each other.  That is hard to tell from the renderings.

 

Thank goodness the roof is sloped upward to give us the two extra feet.

Renderings win praise. http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2013/11/convention_center_hotel_design.html#incart_river_default#incart_m-rpt-2

 

-I asked about residential, the spokesman from Cooper said they weren't asked by Hilton to look into it, and Hilton doesn't operate residential so it was never on their radar.  If they had been asked, they would've, though he mentioned it hasn't been as common on large hotels since 2008, and Cleveland may not be the market for it. :/

 

 

Well the taxpayer of Cuyahoga County doesn't normally finance hotels either.  Time to think outside the box Mr Cooper.

This building's design is solid.  Much better than the large-sized convention Hilton they just built in Columbus. 

Not even close.

I don't think anyone is trotting around saying "we've got the tallest hotel in the state" to emote pride in their City.  If it is the tallest in the state, great. But if not, who cares?

I truly asked the question out of curiosity, maybe people think that since we have the 3 tallest office buildings in the state we should have the tallest hotel, and residential tower etc.

 

I think we also now have the lowest convention center.  An impressive 27ft tall!  Or possibly zero feet tall, depending on how you look at it...

Nevermind this post: someone answered it for me else where.

Just wondering, how much is the total bill for the Medical Mart, Convention Center, Convention Center Hotel?

 

What if you add in the new administration building?

I don't think anyone is trotting around saying "we've got the tallest hotel in the state" to emote pride in their City.  If it is the tallest in the state, great. But if not, who cares?

I truly asked the question out of curiosity, maybe people think that since we have the 3 tallest office buildings in the state we should have the tallest hotel, and residential tower etc.

 

I think we also now have the lowest convention center.  An impressive 27ft tall!  Or possibly zero feet tall, depending on how you look at it...

Haha I love that our convention center is underground. It is an added space that doesn't take up space. I also like the hill over the CC we have a very unique convention center.

 

This building's design is solid.  Much better than the large-sized convention Hilton they just built in Columbus. 

Not even close.

 

Yea I think we are getting the better deal... :)

Yuck!!  I feel bad for Columbus.

did columbus do similar financing?

Financing for both Columbus and Cleveland are the same.  Cleveland got the better end of the deal by far!

Construction costs for Columbus were only $138 million.

I don't know, the Columbus Hilton is pretty spectacular up close. Directly on High Street, right in the middle of all the action (downtown, arena district, north market, convention center, and short north). I agree that this design could look better (we'll find out when its built!), but I really don't think you can beat Cbus' location.

...but I really don't think you can beat Cbus' location.

 

Sure you can - Daniel Burnham's Mall overlooking Lake Erie  :-P

^^Yeah, this one's only within walking distance of E. 4th, Playhouse Square, Tower City, the Casino, Gateway, the Warehouse District, the East Bank, the Rock Hall, the Waterfront Line, the Browns... definitely not on par with the Columbus Hilton location... ;-)

Glad the response to these renderings are a bit more positive than they were initially. I really love this building!

 

I'm starting to like it more and more with the new renderings. Especially the base; it sort of reminds me of the base of the new 3 World Trade Center. Love how it seems bathed in light, the mall can really use that!

 

^^Yeah, this one's only within walking distance of E. 4th, Playhouse Square, Tower City, the Casino, Gateway, the Warehouse District, the East Bank, the Rock Hall, the Waterfront Line, the Browns... definitely not on par with the Columbus Hilton location... ;-)

 

It's funny how it is in the middle of all of that, yet isolated. You have to walk several blocks in any direction to actually reach somewhere cool. Hopefully the hotel livens up its own micro neighborhood a bit, although  challenging due to the surrounding uses.

from the Crain's Article on the public presentation (http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20131121/FREE/131129942):

 

"Hunter Morrison, former Cleveland city planning director, noted the Hamilton Avenue side of the structure looks blank and barren. He said it would be the part of the building many pedestrians would see regularly as they walk north on Ontario Street.

 

Mr. Neal said that area of the building handles stairwells and equipment, but called embellishing its appearance “an excellent idea...."

 

It would be cool if they use the name of Hamilton Ave as Hamilton Ave. I don't think its labeled on the streets right now. But then again its a stub end alley. Will the street (which is parallel to Lakeside, on the south side of the hotel) run the full block to West Mall Drive?

 

 

from the Crain's Article on the public presentation (http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20131121/FREE/131129942):

 

Mr. Neal said that area of the building handles stairwells and equipment, but called embellishing its appearance “an excellent idea...."

 

 

That big multistory wall on the right side of the south facade would be a great place for a huge mural or piece of artwork—but it'd have to be top notch, not something thrown together.

 

That big multistory wall on the right side of the south facade would be a great place for a huge mural or piece of artwork—but it'd have to be top notch, not something thrown together.

 

It could be a display wall for the convention that's in town or due in town next.

I see what Cbus is saying and that's kind of been my problem with the Burnham plan. You have these beautiful Civic buildings that most people have no reason to visit, which creates a civic dead zone. The hotel will definitely liven the corner up and maybe if the building to the south of the justice center could add more entertainment options and the street scape heading to The warehouse district along lakeside and along Ontario towards public square, the area could be livened up a bit.

 

That big multistory wall on the right side of the south facade would be a great place for a huge mural or piece of artwork—but it'd have to be top notch, not something thrown together.

 

It could be a display wall for the convention that's in town or due in town next.

 

Or a huge ad for Coca Cola! Or better yet, cigarettes! Lol.

Lol, yea yea, @Oldmanladyluck and @sixthcity, its CLOSE to a lot of stuff and I would feel comfortable walking to all of those things. But you can't be stepping out of the Columbus Hilton directly onto High Street. You would need to step out of the hotel onto Euclid to get a similar feel. I like this new hotel, but the Mall is not as exciting as the short north.

 

The new about this blank wall is not good. We cannot have a nice building on a couple sides and have it be dead on the other. If we want the area to be vibrant we can't let it have a dead space. It needs windows (why can't stairwells have windows?) and a first floor that is active and vibrant.

 

The new about this blank wall is not good. We cannot have a nice building on a couple sides and have it be dead on the other. If we want the area to be vibrant we can't let it have a dead space. It needs windows (why can't stairwells have windows?) and a first floor that is active and vibrant.

 

Because it is a fire escape?

Ugh, that Columbus Hilton is pretty dreadful IMHO. :(

I don't know, the Columbus Hilton is pretty spectacular up close. Directly on High Street, right in the middle of all the action (downtown, arena district, north market, convention center, and short north). I agree that this design could look better (we'll find out when its built!), but I really don't think you can beat Cbus' location.

 

I know Columbus loves its brick...(I lived in German Village for five years and had to drive on them) but I'm not a fan of brick buildings that are on a large scale...like this hotel or the arena.

 

That being said it is a really cool location and right in the middle of all the action!

This could be posted in a number of other threads. Alas, I picked this one:

 

Cities with rail-to-airport connection boost hotel revenue

 

Hotels in cities with direct rail access from downtown to airport terminals receive nearly 11% more revenue per room than hotels in cities without a rail airport connection, according to a study released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the U.S. Travel Association.

 

“Clearly investment in local rail systems not only benefits residents, but drives significant economic growth in the travel and hospitality industries,” said APTA President/CEO Michael Melaniphy. “For our nation’s great cities to be more competitive and command higher hotel room rates, we must seize the opportunity to invest in our local rail systems and interconnect these high-demand airports to our American cities’ world-class amenities.”

 

The jointly released study, “A New Partnership: Rail Transit and Convention Growth,” shows that higher revenue per room translates to a potential $313 million in revenue per year for “rail cities” — cities which have direct rail access to airport terminals. In the post-recession period, rail cities commanded 16% higher revenue per room than hotels in non-rail cities.

 

http://www.metro-magazine.com/news/story/2013/11/report-cities-with-rail-to-airport-connection-boost-hotel-revenue.aspx

 

^ interesting, although I don't feel like it exactly applies to Cleveland.

The Columbus Hilton looks like it belongs in a suburb.  Cleveland's is very well done and will lively up the mall and feed Euclid, E. 4th and the Warehouse District. 

This could be posted in a number of other threads. Alas, I picked this one:

 

Ironically, I posted it in a few threads the other day. ;)

@bjk, the entire side of the building is a fire escape?

This could be posted in a number of other threads. Alas, I picked this one:

 

Ironically, I posted it in a few threads the other day. ;)

 

Yeah, well.... ok

@bjk, the entire side of the building is a fire escape?

 

The question was "Why can't stairwells have windows?"

The news about this blank wall is not good. We cannot have a nice building on a couple sides and have it be dead on the other. If we want the area to be vibrant we can't let it have a dead space. It needs windows (why can't stairwells have windows?) and a first floor that is active and vibrant.

 

Right, blank walls are momentum killers. This has to be corrected somehow.

 

^The whole side is not a fire escape.  It's not even fully just stairs.  Steve Litt can only type his notes so fast, and has only so much room in his article, so I suppose he just didn't mention fully what was said in response to Hunter's comment  (he's one of the only good PD reporters so I'm defending him!).  Anyway, that side of the hotel will contain the BOH portion of the hotel so that the rest can be as open as humanly possible (and fit the ballrooms!).

 

They said their biggest problem in including all our wishes is that they could not put the tower over the ballrooms.  The tower needed structural integrity that could not be afforded to it with ballrooms below it, so they needed to work with the space (and money) they had.  He said the tower and ballrooms are literally mm away from each other, and not much can be done to change placement, and the BOH had to be along Hamilton so that Ontario/St. Clair/Mall could be open to everyone. 

 

That all being said, he was very very very very open (and excited) to making aesthetic changes to that wall, so don't expect that blank wall come January.

I'm probably in the minority, but I would not mind it it was a great big billboard for current or upcoming shows at the CC. 

 

I'm probably in the minority, but I would not mind it it was a great big billboard for current or upcoming shows at the CC. 

 

 

What a great idea!

 

 

That big multistory wall on the right side of the south facade would be a great place for a huge mural or piece of artwork—but it'd have to be top notch, not something thrown together.

 

It could be a display wall for the convention that's in town or due in town next.

I'm probably in the minority, but I would not mind it it was a great big billboard for current or upcoming shows at the CC.

LED Display?

Maybe a living wall would liven up that space. PNC Bank has installed them in Pittsburgh and Baltimore and both are pretty amazing... and are alive year round.

I also tweeted a suggestion that they give a hat tip to the Progressive tower that was never built, so if the constructed some mesh, cage looking thing, I would like that too

 

(I'm realizing I can be easily pleased with new construction)

Maybe a living wall would liven up that space. PNC Bank has installed them in Pittsburgh and Baltimore and both are pretty amazing... and are alive year round.

I like that as well because the mall area is supposed to be a park like area anyway, so this will just add to the area. I'm guessing since it is a Hilton hotel you imagined their logo on it?

^ a living wall is a great idea. i still think it should have led signage advertising cc events.

 

is it all wall? that is, are there no entrances at all? no room for them? no room for windows? adding doors and windows would help break it up too.

I'm probably in the minority, but I would not mind it it was a great big billboard for current or upcoming shows at the CC. 

 

 

Take it one step further--with an LED billboard that doubles as a TV facing the mall.  You could set up movie nights, trivia etc on the mall.

You guys are awesome with ideas. I hope someone from the city or county or Turner Construction :) is reading this.

Which wall are we talking about? Hamilton? If so wouldn't the Medical Mart block the views?

^Some of the wall faces the plaza between the Med Mart and Ontario so won't be blocked by anything, but yeah, most of it faces the Med Mart across a narrow alley so isn't a huge concern.

I had not previously seen the rendering in this story...

 

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

Man that would be nice with another 10-12 stories of residential on top.  I was at the W Dallas last week and was thinking that's exactly what we need.