1000 Room Convention Center Hotel

[cjd5050]

24 minutes ago, pgsinger said:

#1 - Hodgepodge = Representative Sample.  You have to take a hodgepodge of examples or you end up cherry picking your inputs.  Also, were any of these cities mentioned in those articles other than the reference Buffalo not being able to keep up with Chicago?  The point is regardless of purpose (rebuild a downtrodden area, be competitive for national conventions, etc.) demand for convention space has remained static while supply has increased.  Almost everyone of the centers cited fell short of anticipated hotel nights.

#2 - Tyronne addressed.

#3/4 - Money is fungible.  A tax on visitors of "x" ear marked for generating hotel rooms can be replaced by a tax on visitors of "x" for use for infrastructure, greenways, parks, or whatever the county/city wants (even economic incentives for new employers).  The visitors are not saying we are not going to pay "x" in taxes because it is earmarked for things that benefit local residents as opposed to potential future visitors.  They will just look at the total costs.  Additionally, since this will mostly be paid out of future bed tax revenues, it makes even more sense that the tax can be reallocated for other uses.  Obviously, there is political risk in changing the purpose, but in my opinion, it is doable.

I was just trying to point out that these things are very complex and general takes really don't serve much value.   Especially when someone presents an absolute position based on them.  Not saying that happened here.  Just expanding on my thought process.  

Of course, steps can be taken to try and change how the bed tax is used.  But that's a process with uncertain results.   Until anything changes, the funds have to be used as the process exists today.  I don't share your same optimism on if this is doable.  

 

[Spartan]

The idea of spending money on a 1000 room hotel doesn't bother me that much. What does bother me is that they don't appear to be considering retrofitting or redesigning the existing convention center building to add whatever number of floors they need. That building is, today, more or less a giant waste of space. It may as well be a crater in uptown. At least add density to that space and expand the convention area to an additional floor if needed.

[Crucial_Infra]

47 minutes ago, Spartan said:

The idea of spending money on a 1000 room hotel doesn't bother me that much. What does bother me is that they don't appear to be considering retrofitting or redesigning the existing convention center building to add whatever number of floors they need. That building is, today, more or less a giant waste of space. It may as well be a crater in uptown. At least add density to that space and expand the convention area to an additional floor if needed.

The convention center felt so state of the art when it was completed in 1995. I'm pretty sure it was?  Sad to read how it no longer stacks up to its competition. 

As for this 1000 room hotel, what are the odds this thing is even under construction in the next two years? Not sure why I'm skeptical but I've been reading about the need for this since the early 90s.  

Edited May 15, 2018 by Crucial_Infra

[SydneyCarton]

I hope that the design is good and that it’s not a fat, 600’ box.

I’d like to see a landmark tower that tapers dramatically at the top and is at least 900’ tall.

[15895]

13 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I hope that the design is good and that it’s not a fat, 600’ box.

I’d like to see a landmark tower that tapers dramatically at the top and is at least 900’ tall.

You’ve lowered your standards by 100 feet?

[Crucial_Infra]

16 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I hope that the design is good and that it’s not a fat, 600’ box.

I’d like to see a landmark tower that tapers dramatically at the top and is at least 900’ tall.

Seeing as how the Westin is only 300' and has 700 rooms. A 1000 room hotel could easily be built at 400' I bet.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Crucial_Infra

[Cadi40]

Kind of off topic but I would love to see a W Hotel in Charlotte. Very upscale and modern.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Cadi40

[kermit]

3 hours ago, Spartan said:

The idea of spending money on a 1000 room hotel doesn't bother me that much. What does bother me is that they don't appear to be considering retrofitting or redesigning the existing convention center building to add whatever number of floors they need. That building is, today, more or less a giant waste of space. It may as well be a crater in uptown. At least add density to that space and expand the convention area to an additional floor if needed.

Yea, I agree. Rebuilding the existing center would present many opportunities including streets cape improvements and a possible rail trail route through it (which is not a small thing).

Edited May 15, 2018 by kermit

[SydneyCarton]

40 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

You’ve lowered your standards by 100 feet?

1,200' would be nice, but I'm being realistic.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Crucial_Infra said:

The convention center felt so state of the art when it was completed in 1995. I'm pretty sure it was?  Sad to read how it no longer stacks up to its competition. 

As for this 1000 room hotel, what are the odds this thing is even under construction in the next two years? Not sure why I'm skeptical but I've been reading about the need for this since the early 90s.  

Its the city's goal to have it ready by 2021. Cute, right?

[TheOneRJ]

More fan fiction. 

[nashbill]

7 hours ago, kermit said:

I wasn't aware of this either. I have never been a big fan of the convention business as an ED strategy (the industry is not growing but competition is), I will say that Charlotte has a HUGE advantage that it appears not to be taking advantage of. Our airport makes us better qualified that all but a handful of places to host meetings, its nearly criminal that CRVA has been ignoring that linkage in its convention planning.

Other things we need to be a top-tier convention site:

1. Better transit from airport to uptown (ideally a one seat ride to this 1,000 room hotel)
2. Totally nude strip clubs (not really joking here, its how Atlanta gets more than half its meetings)
3. Legal pot (hey, conventions are a competitive game, you gotta give the people what they want)

How about a casino?  Cities across the country are building or already have a casino.  I was thinking the hotel could be associated with the casino and the enlarged convention center.  Of course gambling would have to be legalized.  Give the people what they want.  

[cjd5050]

19 minutes ago, nashbill said:

How about a casino?  Cities across the country are building or already have a casino.  I was thinking the hotel could be associated with the casino and the enlarged convention center.  Of course gambling would have to be legalized.  Give the people what they want.  

There are ways to work around gambling not being legal.  What you do is sell a piece of land to an Indian Nation and have them run the casino on that site and do a revenue share with them.  

[15895]

An example of how grand a 1000 (1073) room hotel could be:

 

 

 

I always admired Westin Atlanta

 

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

^The Sundial resturant/observatatory is pretty cool too! External glass elevators. Would love something like the Westin. I've always wondered if/when charlotte would get a cylindrical tower. 

[DMann]

Round buildings look cool from the outside, but they are very inefficient from the inside.

[tozmervo]

Between convention center size and hotel room count, it sounds like charlotte does not have a lot. 

[TheOneRJ]

I agree that a hotel of that size needs to come with some type of attraction with it. Half of those hotel rooms will sit empty during a regular season with all of the new rooms coming into the market. 

A 975-room Kalahari Resort broke ground in Texas today accompanied by a convention center. 

Edited May 16, 2018 by TheOneRJ

[KulBC]

Exactly how "Quality" Inn always lacks bigly in the quality. Funny how things are usually the exact opposite of what they exclaim to be. 

That said, I'm excited to see how this plays out over the next few months! 

[Popsickle]

7 hours ago, KulBC said:

Exactly how "Quality" Inn always lacks bigly in the quality. Funny how things are usually the exact opposite of what they exclaim to be. 

That said, I'm excited to see how this plays out over the next few months! 

Maybe we can name the 1000 room hotel "Quantity Inn".

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

7 hours ago, KulBC said:

Funny how things are usually the exact opposite of what they exclaim to be. 

Then maybe we can finally get a Trump Charlotte.

Edited May 16, 2018 by CarolinaDaydreamin

[Dale]

Article in the Observer speculated that this hotel, the Discovery Place expansion, Blumnenthal expansion and several other civic projects could be shelved to placate Tepper regarding any stadium improvement plans he might demand.

[Popsickle]

6 minutes ago, Dale said:

Article in the Observer speculated that this hotel, the Discovery Place expansion, Blumnenthal expansion and several other civic projects could be shelved to placate Tepper regarding any stadium improvement plans he might demand.

As much as I love the Panthers I can't disagree with this idea more. 

[15895]

I would love an aquarium at the base. If Lincoln Harris has some good retail, Ally Tower had the rumored Apple store,  the museums in the area including Nascar. 2 light rail stations, Whole Foods. JW Marriott, and others. Couple blocks from panthers and Romare. I mean,  that would be a nice convention area.

 

I just wish the city would partner with Lincoln Harris so we could have some Goldman dollars on top of city dollars 

Edited May 16, 2018 by AirNostrumMAD

[Crucial_Infra]

33 minutes ago, Dale said:

Article in the Observer speculated that this hotel, the Discovery Place expansion, Blumnenthal expansion and several other civic projects could be shelved to placate Tepper regarding any stadium improvement plans he might demand.

Starting to think this is the reason this hotel proposal was rushed out so quickly. The city couldn't use it as a concession in their negotiations if it hadn't been proposed yet. In other words, I'm skeptical this thing is serious.