Atlantic Park (Under Construction)

[cpeakesqr]

Lou Haddad needs to take a public speaking class... he seemed very uneasy.

[vdogg]

Lou Haddad needs to take a public speaking class... he seemed very uneasy.

He's not always like that. When he briefed council about the Westin before they started constuction on that he was about as confident as i've ever seen anyone. I think he seemed uneasy because he isn't that confident about the project himself.

[rusthebuss]

He's not always like that. When he briefed council about the Westin before they started constuction on that he was about as confident as i've ever seen anyone. I think he seemed uneasy because he isn't that confident about the project himself.

I would too if i had a 250 million dollar project v. a 4 billion dollar project!

[vdogg]

AH/Smith team pitch proposal for beach

An empty Oceanfront parking lot is getting a lot of attention lately.

Three proposals have come from separate developers to build hotels and entertainment venues at the former Virginia Beach Dome site. The area, on 19th Street and Pacific Avenue, once was home to the Dome concert arena, which was demolished in 1994.

[Padman]

One thing that I don't think we've brought up sufficiently yet: Have many of you given a close look to the new convention center? My God...it's beautiful. I never thought the massing would work out so well from the illustrations. This building holds it's own against anything I've seen recently.. and I mean internationally. So whatever we build as a companion hotel project has to meet some pretty high standards.

[urbanvb]

I agree. The convention center is a striking building.

[vdogg]

One thing that I don't think we've brought up sufficiently yet: Have many of you given a close look to the new convention center? My God...it's beautiful. I never thought the massing would work out so well from the illustrations. This building holds it's own against anything I've seen recently.. and I mean internationally. So whatever we build as a companion hotel project has to meet some pretty high standards.

I agree that the front (19th street side) is beautiful but I don't like what they've done with the back at all. That side faces a major thoroughfare (sp?) and I think they should have done a little something more with it than just a concrete wall.

[andyfried]

I think the front of the convention center is the most striking building in Hampton Roads.I just love the glass.

[Padman]

The back side could use some screening; it's just utilitarian.

[urbanlife]

speaking of close up look, anyone want to do that with a camera?

[vdogg]

Beach should reach for better ideas

The last proposal includes the most audacious clause. While the city is studying the Armada Hoffler proposal, it's not allowed to solicit any others.

The Beach should say no to all of them. For now.

With three unsolicited proposals already, the Beach has proof that there's interest out there, in America and even in the world. For the next few months, the city should find out how much. Set a deadline and invite everybody and anybody to submit a proposal. For the Dome site, for Rudee Loop, for the City Hall parking lot.

Other folks are obviously thinking big, thinking way, way outside the box that contains both reasonableness and even sanity. The city should encourage more folks to do that.

^^^ A surprisingly spot on editorial from the pilot. I agree wholeheartedly.

[spiker3]

Virginia Beach on board with a monorail? Not likely

Try and guess which way the Pilot is leaning...

VIRGINIA BEACH - Only three American cities have monorails swooshing alongside cars on busy streets.

Could Virginia Beach be next?

Developer Armada Hoffler wants to introduce the transportation system - more often found in science fiction movies and some U.S. airports - to Virginia Beach.

But the company faces some very traditional challenges in selling the sleek ride to city leaders and residents who will have to pay for it, including its large price tag.

"It's an intriguing idea," Councilman Jim Wood said. "I'm not convinced."

[spiker3]

Beach should reach for better ideas

^^^ A surprisingly spot on editorial from the pilot. I agree wholeheartedly.

Lol, hilarious quote from comments of Pilot:

Armada Hoffler should contact ODU to see if they'd be willing to sell that dead horse, er, maglev monorail that's catching dust at the campus. They could jack the price to the city up 20 million or so, and the VB City Council would jump at the chance to blow some more of the taxpayers dollars.

[cpeakesqr]

Armada Hoffler should contact ODU to see if they'd be willing to sell that dead horse, er, maglev monorail that's catching dust at the campus. They could jack the price to the city up 20 million or so, and the VB City Council would jump at the chance to blow some more of the taxpayers dollars.

Someone needs to inform the writer that the maglev isn't dead just yet.

[metalman]

With all the talk about a convention center hotel and the dome proposal, I think it's kind of funny how no one mentions the Double Tree. I mean, come on! It's all of 100 yards away, if that. It is right next to the west parking lot of the convention center. I am not saying that a bigger or better hotel isn't wanted or need, but it boggles my mind how it has never been mentioned or under no circumstance seen a hotel that is viable for users of the convention center.

[spiker3]

With all the talk about a convention center hotel and the dome proposal, I think it's kind of funny how no one mentions the Double Tree. I mean, come on! It's all of 100 yards away, if that. It is right next to the west parking lot of the convention center. I am not saying that a bigger or better hotel isn't wanted or need, but it boggles my mind how it has never been mentioned or under no circumstance seen a hotel that is viable for users of the convention center.

That's because the Navy had a coronary when the original DoubleTree was planned, 34 stories high. Instead, we got the 12 story one. It's not a flagship hotel, and renovation wouldn't help. Another hotel might seem senseless, but for the convention center to compete with other cities, they really do need a flagship hoel convienent to the CC, and AH's proposal is not the answer.

I'm kinda pushing for AH to build their center on the dome site, the city says forget $65 million, which drops the monorail, resulting in the city only paying ten million or so, and the Dallas or SunRise firm building a REAL hotel next to the CC. It'll never happen, but i can dream can't i

[Padman]

I'd like to see AH build an expanded entertainment center on the Dome site (with apartments and condos). Let someone else build a first rate hotel adjacent to the convention center (maybe Sun Rise), and let Sun Rise tackle Rudee Loop.

The Doubletree might not be a total loss. If it has decent bones, it could be refurbished as a companion to a new facility. You know the micro-economic principle of the two ice cream stands locating next to one another on the beach? Customers like having more choices in the same spot.

[vdogg]

In tommorrows city council meeting Ray Garfield, president of Garfield Traub, will pitch his idea for a convention center hotel. I will add this event to the calendar.

[scm]

From the VP's article on the monorail (pointing out the dismal performance record of US monorails):

The monorail is the company's answer to having a headquarters hotel five blocks from the convention center, instead of right next door. The developer hopes that conventioneers will consider the two-minute monorail ride the equivalent of walking across to a hotel and taking an elevator up to their rooms, said Chris Harvey, director of business development for Armada Hoffler. "We had to think of something very creative," Harvey said. It also could be a tourist attraction, similar to Walt Disney World's monorail, Harvey said. "What kid doesn't want to ride on a monorail?" Harvey said.

I got a great idea -- VB issues revenue bonds to pay for the monorail capital costs. The pledged revenue is equal to an amount AH pays on top of the land lease for the development site. This monorail is built for one reason only, according to AH's own head of BD -- making their hotel the equal of a better located competing property. The only customer for the monorail is a guest at AH's hotel, headed to the convention center. So great -- let the sole users pay for building it.

Of course, every knows that concept would kill the monorail. What AH is trying to do, is to get VB taxpayers to pick up the cost of making AH's property competitive. Standard practice of many successful businessmen. Shame on the VB taxpayers if they don't raise the BS flag -- quickly.

[spiker3]

Two of Four Hotel Proposals Dropped

I'll be posting this same link in related topics...i'm not crying over the loss of AH from this deal

VIRGINIA BEACH - Documents released Friday show two of the four proposals to build a headquarters hotel for the city's convention center are off the table.

Armada Hoffler, which had pitched a hotel and entertainment complex at the former Dome site at 19th Street and Pacific Avenue, withdrew its plans this week after its entertainment venue backed out of the proposal.

Two days earlier, a city executive wrote in an e-mail that the Beach has lost interest in working with Sun Rise Development Co. Ltd., a South Korean firm, because the company has said nothing to the city since January.

[vdogg]

Two of Four Hotel Proposals Dropped

I'll be posting this same link in related topics...i'm not crying over the loss of AH from this deal

If we wind up with a freaking Doubletree i'll be p**sed.

[tombarnes]

Don't you like those chocolate chip cookies at DoubleTree Vdogg? I agree with you that having a DoubleTree as the convention center hotel would be very bad for the city. I hope they can do better than that.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Doubletree, necessarily, as the one I went to in Philly was pretty nice... but I have to agree that the DT proposal here kind of sucks...

What a shame, but Sun Rise was clearly not an immediate option. Maybe Hyatt will give us a great, shiny new rendering that will blow us away?

[lil-bear]

DOME SITE

CHUGGING ALONG...............

[mistermetaj]

DOME SITE

CHUGGING ALONG...............

There are so many other pieces of land at the ocean front, I really hope they can fit in these other developers in other locations down there. How about the city buys out some of the run down housing on 19th street towards the interstate.