Is this taking place of the marriott courtyard that is suppose to go next to north side? Has anyone heard anything about it?

 

This is a new hotel venture by the city. The courtyard in northside is a done deal and construction is soon coming.

 

I was in downtown a week ago or so and there is still no evidence of any construction starting. Wonder what's happening?

I've been wondering the same thing. They said construction would begin in the fall 10 but I have yet too see any activity.

 

Any news on the hotel proposal for in between the convention center and the art museum?

I've been wondering the same thing. They said construction would begin in the fall 10 but I have yet too see any activity.

 

Any news on the hotel proposal for in between the convention center and the art museum?

 

The city extended the deadline for submissions. I believe the deadline has passed. Hopefully a few groups submitted.

Downtown Akron hotel takes Ramada name

 

Beacon Journal staff report

 

Published: July 26, 2011 - 12:36 PM

Downtown Akron has a national brand-name hotel again.

 

The 243-room Akron City Centre hotel has been sold and renamed the Ramada Plaza, Mayor Don Plusquellic announced Tuesday during a news conference.

 

He said it was “vitally important” to have a brand-name hotel downtown for businesses and to attract visitors.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/downtown-akron-hotel-takes-ramada-name-1.226756

So this isn't the old Quaker Square Hilton, right? That's a university-run hotel now, correct?

So this isn't the old Quaker Square Hilton, right? That's a university-run hotel now, correct?

 

Correct

I'm curious if this effects the other two proposed hotel sites at all. The thought of Akron having three brand hotels is awesome and hopefully more conventions and events will come downtown due to it.

What are the other two? Northside Marriott and what?

Northside and the one they were excepting proposals for between the museum and convention center.

Northside and the one they were excepting proposals for between the museum and convention center.

 

Excepting?  :whip:  Accepting! FAIL!!  :speech:

The only downtown hotels I am aware of are The Ramada Plaza, The Quaker Square Inn at The University of Akron and the soon-to-be Marriott on the north side. Am I missing anything?

The City was also accepting proposals for the lot between JSK and the art museum for a new hotel.

The City was also accepting proposals for the lot between JSK and the art museum for a new hotel.

 

Are they still accepting proposals for that area or is the North Side Marriott going to fill that need now?

I don't think they are still accepting proposals, but this was in addition to the Northside one, which has yet to break ground.

They extended the deadline but that has since passed. No new information that I am aware of.

New hotel planned for downtown Akron

 

By Katie Byard

Beacon Journal business writer

 

 

Published: July 15, 2013 - 02:36 PM

 

One of downtown Akron’s treasured historic buildings, Greystone Hall on High Street, would be transformed into a hotel under a plan involving local and out-of-town partners.

 

The 1917 structure, an old Masonic building opposite the John S. Knight convention center, is now owned by the city and is used by the convention center for various events.

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/new-hotel-planned-for-downtown-akron-1.413325?localLinksEnabled=false&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#.UeRCCDE54fk.facebook

 

 

 

The article above has been adjusted and updated a few times today.  Also made mention is the Northside hotel that Testa says is still alive but slowly moving due to design issues. Also, this was really a place-keeper and background article for the real announcement that will be made on Tuesday.  I would wonder how many hotel rooms they are really talking for the greystone.  I would think maybe 40-60 hotel rooms could be created in that building. Gut feeling is they'll go for 3-4 floors and 30+ rooms and it will be connected to a new building with the bulk of the rooms.  I guess we'll have more details soon. At the moment it seems like a fairly smallish deal.  With the church property near by vacant and the rumors floating of that being in the mix this could be a much bigger deal. 

I'm hoping this is a much bigger deal than we think... At least it should be.

 

What I'm hoping for is the Greystone turn into more of the hotel meeting/rec space while a new building is built adjacent to it that would hold the rooms. I just can't imagine how the Greystone can be turned into a viable hotel. Also, they better be announcing a national brand to be running this.

Well this is all I've seen....Name better change.

 

 

 

 

Well its not huge.  160 rooms. $40 mil.

http://akronnewsnow.com/news/local/item/95594-new-hotel-planned-for-akrons-greystone-hall

Well its not huge.  160 rooms. $40 mil.

http://akronnewsnow.com/news/local/item/95594-new-hotel-planned-for-akrons-greystone-hall

 

This is never good...

"Developers today said they are still working to secure funding for the $40 million dollar project."

 

I'm hoping this is a much bigger deal than we think... At least it should be.

 

What I'm hoping for is the Greystone turn into more of the hotel meeting/rec space while a new building is built adjacent to it that would hold the rooms. I just can't imagine how the Greystone can be turned into a viable hotel. Also, they better be announcing a national brand to be running this.

 

That's exactly what they are planning. The rendering is a bit confusing though.

Nope...Just like the last few times they tried to build a hotel downtown. I don't know why they keep doing that.  It's so frustrating..  :x

More photos. I have mixed emotions on the design...

 

 

/\/\/\ And those are showing the long term goal of expanding over to where the church is now. That may or may not even happen.

 

Well its not huge.  160 rooms. $40 mil.

http://akronnewsnow.com/news/local/item/95594-new-hotel-planned-for-akrons-greystone-hall

 

The new Aloft in the Flats East Bank is only 150.

 

I don't think that's their long term vision. I think that's the overall vision. Right? Without expanding over to the church they don't have a hotel..Only the Greystone, that they plan on turning into conference rooms and recreation spaces. I think the design of the two buildings clash. And I'm sick of all new construction in Akron being built from red brick. Can't we design with new elements to give a look of diversity?

^Most people complain that they want brick instead of siding and you're complaining that there is too much brick.  Impossible to please everybody.  I'm not crazy about the design, but I like the renovation of the Greystone.  Akron needs this.

I don't think that's their long term vision. I think that's the overall vision. Right? Without expanding over to the church they don't have a hotel..Only the Greystone, that they plan on turning into conference rooms and recreation spaces. I think the design of the two buildings clash. And I'm sick of all new construction in Akron being built from red brick. Can't we design with new elements to give a look of diversity?

 

They have an animation of the project now on the Beacon website and it shows the church still intact. I am surprised that they can fit all of that on the site.

^Most people complain that they want brick instead of siding and you're complaining that there is too much brick.  Impossible to please everybody.  I'm not crazy about the design, but I like the renovation of the Greystone.  Akron needs this.

 

I'm saying to red brick is getting old...Canal park, all of U of A's new buildings and residence halls, the football stadium, the hospitals, the First Energy and Erst and Young towers...etc... I know Akron needs this, but what I'm saying is start caring about good design. Cleveland seems to know what this is about with all the unique buildings that are being build up there.

I don't think that's their long term vision. I think that's the overall vision. Right? Without expanding over to the church they don't have a hotel..Only the Greystone, that they plan on turning into conference rooms and recreation spaces. I think the design of the two buildings clash. And I'm sick of all new construction in Akron being built from red brick. Can't we design with new elements to give a look of diversity?

 

They have an animation of the project now on the Beacon website and it shows the church still intact. I am surprised that they can fit all of that on the site.

 

That animation made me dizzy...Yeah it doesn't seem like a big enough space for all of that. I'm not holding my breath this actually happens.

I'm going to agree, this is fairly uninspiring. I don't feel there needed to be a super inpressive facility attached to the greystone, just not one so blah. It looks very utilitarian. I would think a hampton inn style would suffice. With a potential marriott at northside and who knows what going on at the mayflower this plan could easily be a mere memory very soon.

Granted, it is uninspiring.

 

At the same time, let's look at the postives:

-utilizes Greystone Hall

-the design of the hotel would easily allow for a brand to come in

-right next to the convention center

 

At this point, I just want to SEE something get done. This one done. Northside Marriott Courtyard. Mayflower Conversion. Even a proper City Center renovation. SOMETHING.

^Most people complain that they want brick instead of siding and you're complaining that there is too much brick.  Impossible to please everybody.  I'm not crazy about the design, but I like the renovation of the Greystone.  Akron needs this.

 

I think there's a lot to be said for common thematic elements, too.  And also for not micromanaging superficialities.  Though I admit I don't see what the exterior image problem would be with Greystone's existing, erm, grey stones, if those could be incorporated in.

I'm a brick enthusiast, but that design looks more like a hospital than a hotel.

I don't mind brick either... I'm just saying from the rendering it looks like the exact shade red brick that they're covering every new building in Akron with. It looks way too plain, and there are no significant elements in the design that make me say wow. I'm not saying it has to be a world renowned design. Look for example at the new Marriott Courtyard hotel built in University Circle in Cleveland. It used two colors of brick and a modern looking siding.

Not many details yet. I heard that bids were being selected last Friday for the Marriott hotel at Northside to start construction.  Probably should be seeing a story in the Beacon Journal in the next couple weeks with hopefully updated pics.

Not many details yet. I heard that bids were being selected last Friday for the Marriott hotel at Northside to start construction.  Probably should be seeing a story in the Beacon Journal in the next couple weeks with hopefully updated pics.

 

Finally! Thanks

Not many details yet. I heard that bids were being selected last Friday for the Marriott hotel at Northside to start construction.  Probably should be seeing a story in the Beacon Journal in the next couple weeks with hopefully updated pics.

 

Oh thank you! I would much rather have this then the bland design of the "Akron Hotel" they had planned to connect to Greystone Hall!

The future is now.

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/ground-to-be-broken-on-downtown-akron-marriott-developer-testa-increases-number-of-rooms-1.486430

Developer Joel Testa will finally break ground on downtown Akron’s first new hotel in decades.

The groundbreaking ceremony — a private event set for Friday evening — comes almost four years after Testa first publicly revealed plans for a 10-story tower-style Marriott hotel to be constructed beside the Northside Lofts, at the northern edge of downtown.

About time. I'm wondering why that convenience store is in a hotel.

^ the Market is a staple of most new Marriott properties, especially Courtyard locations. Some are nothing but a nook but I've been in several where it is a small mini mart.

Just about any kind of new retail in the Northside district is welcome at this point. The district footprint itself is tiny, but it does has some room to grow and become a genuine community. Furnace St. in particular beyond the southbound leg of the Y-Bridge could really become much more than what it is now, lifeless with a number of vacant and poorly appropriated lots.

 

I really wish the city and developers would start working their way through here. Northside seems ripe for several mixed-use buildings with street-level retail and apartments on the upper levels. With such renewed interest in downtown living, Akron seems to be missing the boat on the trend, save for the student housing binge. But non-UA students need viable options. How do you keep UA grads and attract young professionals and empty nesters back into town when all you have to offer are student apartments?

 

Akron should really be trying to strengthen and diversify its community lifestyle offerings beyond UA Park/South Main. Highland Square and the Middlebury/East End area could also really play into this strategy.

There are apartments called Cascade Lofts about to come on-line down the street on North.  Its in a former rubber plant and will be lofts as well with about 20 units plus retail.  There's the forever expected apartments on South Main by the Civic and Lock 4. Not sure the status of that. I believe the asbestos has been removed but i think that took most of the renovation money. 

 

Whitespace, is consolidating in an old warehouse on Furnace.

http://www.ohio.com/news/top-stories/whitespace-creative-owner-sees-vision-in-renovating-old-building-for-new-headquarters-1.425059

 

There's plenty of units available at Northside Lofts next to the Marriott. Part of the strategy was the buildings to be synergistic, I believe.  A half sold luxury loft building with few of the retail/restaurant spaces filled or profitable need daily traffic a hotel would bring.  Vegeteranean and I suspect now DBA are only filled Friday and Saturday nights.  Additional services or access to services like a little market from the hotel next door would make the northside lofts more desirable and probably help sell the rest of the units.

 

The Mayflower is the big question mark in downtown Akron. Does a developer come along and merge it with the arena project and make it another hotel? Will they make it luxury apartments?  Perhaps a mix of both?  That would pretty much doom the City hotel or whatever they are calling the Radisson.  Perhaps that could be turned into apartments.

With the Greystone Hotel going up as well, I'm sure the Mayflower will be market-rate apartments.

I'm not sure that the Greystone is a done deal.  It took practically 8 years for the Marriott to be a done deal.  The people backing the Greystone perhaps thought it really wouldn't get off the ground and they could be "first mover" of modern downtown hotels in Akron.  It wouldn't surprise me if the Greystone gets delayed further to see what happens with the Mayflower. 

The Greystone project is backed by a huge investor out of PA and supported by the city (who is also the driver on Mayflower's redevelopment). The project is ready to go and can move more quickly than Tesla, and the Mayflower will be held up for a while with the current occupancy.

The Greystone project is backed by a huge investor out of PA and supported by the city (who is also the driver on Mayflower's redevelopment). The project is ready to go and can move more quickly than Tesla, and the Mayflower will be held up for a while with the current occupancy.

 

The Greystone project was not ready to move even a couple months after they made the announcement, they were still waiting for funding. I haven't heard anything recently.

Finally some dirt moving at the Northside hotel!

 

 

Finally some dirt moving at the Northside hotel!

 

I thought it was funny they had exactly one guy working on the lot a few weeks ago.

 

I'm glad there is movement though.

Now we are seeing some substance with the Northside hotel development!

 

10-story Northside Marriott hotel opening Nov. 17. http://www.ohio.com/news/local/downtown-akron-s-first-new-hotel-since-1980s-set-to-open-nov-17-northside-courtyard-is-a-10-story-tower-offering-147-rooms-1.629278