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Amway Grand Plaza Hotel Renovations


joeDowntown

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The Amway Grand Plaza will be ripping out their 1980's "Big Boy" style atriums in favor of a more European look:

"We're never done renovating the hotel, and the old overstructures are being replaced with new ones that have better heat and cold (technology)," said Joseph Tomaselli, president. "Our inspiration was the world-famous Hotel Imperial in Vienna, and, when finished, it will accentuate the hotel with a European facade and be visually attractive on the street."

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde...18120221410.xml

The improvements will include outdoor seating, a snowmelt system, a Starbucks ;) as well as a significant remodeling of the Cygnus restaurant.

It looks like they have no plans to let the Grand Plaza hotel play second-fiddle to the new Marriott. Good news for the city. It should make the Pantlind portion even more "grand".

Joe

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  • 2 months later...

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The Amway Grand Plaza will be ripping out their 1980's "Big Boy" style atriums in favor of a more European look:

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde...18120221410.xml

The improvements will include outdoor seating, a snowmelt system, a Starbucks  ;) as well as a significant remodeling of the Cygnus restaurant.

It looks like they have no plans to let the Grand Plaza hotel play second-fiddle to the new Marriott. Good news for the city. It should make the Pantlind portion even more "grand".

Joe

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How's this project coming? GRdad, wuold it be worthwhile to give us a photo update?

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I have no idea what material that is that they are putting on, but I'm sure it will be finished off with something else to make it look more "period". I never did see a rendering of what it would look like finished.

C2768D20F54811D9A3C201BF18F73B1D.jpg

I have to say, this small section of Monroe across the street looks A LOT better ;) Check out the giant "face" in the window of DeGraaf Contemporary Art Gallery when you go by there.

C4241610F54811D990C3606F18F73B1D.jpg

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From what I've heard the new marriott isn't gonna be nearly as fancy as the Amway. I am glad they are taking down those ugly 'big boy' windows at 1913 room. It will make it much more pleasant to walk by

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Thanks for the update GRDad,

I'm sure the materials will be top noch. As Joe said it good to get those nasty 80's style Big Boy atriums out of there. They really never fit. if you see old pictures of this Pantland I think this redue will be more in keeping with the original.

Also good to see the extra details in place on the Terra Firma Buildings.

I think Ellis owns the SE corner of Monroe and Lyon. Someone really needs to do somthing there to finish the block off.

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Thanks for the update GRDad,

I'm sure the materials will be top noch. As Joe said it good to get those nasty 80's style Big Boy atriums out of there.  They really never fit.  if you see old pictures of this Pantland I think this redue will be more in keeping with the original.

Also good to see the extra details in place on the Terra Firma Buildings.

I think Ellis owns the SE corner of Monroe and Lyon. Someone really needs to do somthing there to finish the block off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree on that lot. It is just an arm of the new ramp there (that is never full). Ellis could spare it :D

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The copper roofing and large windows are starting to give it a Lower 5th Avenue look. Wander around Greenwich Village next time you are there and you will see some swank places that look like this. Good job Amway!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is looking nicer. The areas just under the copper roofing are actually large patios (they have plastic over the openings now). You can also see where they have the sidewalks torn up that they are putting in a snow melt system. I do hope that the flagpole goes back on (maybe they are upgrading it ;) ) The whole project will really open up the front to pedestrians and make that area of Monroe very lively, with patio seating at places on both sides of the street. So far, so good!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Any word on what the renovations to Cygnus will be like?

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I've heard that they've teamed up with the Planetarium here in town and that there will be a permanent display of the constellation Cygnus on the ceiling. The only other source of illumination will be little nightlights in the shape of ugly ducklings. Waitresses will wear those big wings like the girls in Victoria's Secret. Menus will list offerings such as: The Orion = huge beefsteak. Cassiopeia = dainty cheesecake. Big Dipper = 32-oz. mug of your favorite micro brew. Little Dipper = 4-oz. teacup of absinthe. Pegasus = the special of the evening. Etc.

I'm not sure I like their idea for the restrooms, however. Sounds pretty messy.

But guests are certain to be awestruck.

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Thanks for the welcome GRDad. I've been lurking around for a few weeks, but this is my first post. What a fascinating site--kudos to whoever came up with it.

Welcome mmcroberts!  Budgie, can you break the encryption for us?  Big wings?  Messy restrooms?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Thanks for the welcome GRDad.  I've been lurking around for a few weeks, but this is my first post.  What a fascinating site--kudos to whoever came up with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

GRDAD:

I am sincerely jesting about the Cygnus renovation. Birds (yes, even the most elegant of swans) are notoriously messy. It's not their fault. The wings refer to the models one finds in Victoria's Secret catalogs (I have nothing to do with this). You will sometimes see a scantily clad model sporting huge feathery wings as part of her ensemble.

I really have no idea what Cygnus plans to do with any makeover. I've never had the honor of eating at the establishment. Just couldn't resist references to constellations because of the Cygnus connection.

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GRDAD:

I am sincerely jesting about the Cygnus renovation. Birds (yes, even the most elegant of swans) are notoriously messy. It's not their fault. The wings refer to the models one finds in Victoria's Secret catalogs (I have nothing to do with this). You will sometimes see a scantily clad model sporting huge feathery wings as part of her ensemble.

I really have no idea what Cygnus plans to do with any makeover. I've never had the honor of eating at the establishment. Just couldn't resist references to constellations because of the Cygnus connection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You totally had me going, especially with the menu items. I just did not connect the wings with the restrooms. :lol: And mmcroberts, I think if you venture over to the North Carolina area of the forum, you'll find many of the original founders.

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Cygnus is about as fancy as my wife and I have dined in town, and it holds a special place in our heart, having been there the night we got married... For about 3 or 4 visits straight, we had the same waiter--he actually remembered us each time, and around the second visit or so had told us that he liked waiting on us and that we should request him whenever we come back. I realize that quality service often goes along with the price, but I hope the renovations don't alter the place too much.

I suppose there are "fancier" places in town (i.e. The 1913 Room), but Cygnus always had this special status coming out of college--it was THE place to go when you wanted to go someplace special.

Once, we actually got to see an alternate side of Cygnus. It was the summer of 1999, and we were about to head off to Minnesota for graduate school. We invited some friends of ours to have dessert up at Cygnus. Since we weren't getting a whole meal, we expected to be seated up in the lounge. However, when we got there we discovered that the place was almost entirely empty (maybe 1 or 2 tables occupied in the whole dining room); given the wealth of available space, they seated us down in the dining room. We also discovered that the wait staff was incurably bored out of their skulls. At various points in the 2 hour evening, we had maybe 3 waiters serving us, one of our friends was draped across the piano singing lounge songs with the pianist, and another of our friends was being teased (and teasing in return) by one of the waiters about the color of his underwear...

Definitely not the image Cygnus usually puts out.

Ahhhh, good times.

GRDAD:

I am sincerely jesting about the Cygnus renovation. Birds (yes, even the most elegant of swans) are notoriously messy. It's not their fault. The wings refer to the models one finds in Victoria's Secret catalogs (I have nothing to do with this). You will sometimes see a scantily clad model sporting huge feathery wings as part of her ensemble.

I really have no idea what Cygnus plans to do with any makeover. I've never had the honor of eating at the establishment. Just couldn't resist references to constellations because of the Cygnus connection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Cygnus is about as fancy as my wife and I have dined in town, and it holds a special place in our heart, having been there the night we got married...  For about 3 or 4 visits straight, we had the same waiter--he actually remembered us each time, and around the second visit or so had told us that he liked waiting on us and that we should request him whenever we come back.  I realize that quality service often goes along with the price, but I hope the renovations don't alter the place too much. 

I suppose there are "fancier" places in town (i.e. The 1913 Room), but Cygnus always had this special status coming out of college--it was THE place to go when you wanted to go someplace special.

Once, we actually got to see an alternate side of Cygnus.  It was the summer of 1999, and we were about to head off to Minnesota for graduate school.  We invited some friends of ours to have dessert up at Cygnus.  Since we weren't getting a whole meal, we expected to be seated up in the lounge.  However, when we got there we discovered that the place was almost entirely empty (maybe 1 or 2 tables occupied in the whole dining room); given the wealth of available space, they seated us down in the dining room.  We also discovered that the wait staff was incurably bored out of their skulls.  At various points in the 2 hour evening, we had maybe 3 waiters serving us, one of our friends was draped across the piano singing lounge songs with the pianist, and another of our friends was being teased (and teasing in return) by one of the waiters about the color of his underwear...

Definitely not the image Cygnus usually puts out.

Ahhhh, good times.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow! That reminds me of a night we had with friends at 48 West shortly after it opened. Except a friend of mine actually started playing the piano (and he doesn't play at all, not even chopsticks). :alc:

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Yes, Welcome mmcroberts. Glad to see you come out of the shadows. Let us know if you need anything!

Joe

Thanks for the welcome GRDad.  I've been lurking around for a few weeks, but this is my first post.  What a fascinating site--kudos to whoever came up with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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