Trump

[blackcoat]

Between the soaring cost of construction and lack of readily available capital for large projects, I am still wary about this project (or any other project that has yet to break ground, regardless of location in the United States) starting soon. I think that it's bad to put too much faith in a single survey or poll, but HVS Hospitality Services speculates that New Orleans will be the top-appreciating hotel market over the next 5 years (the bad side is that hotel profitability is down). If others industry experts agree, this should help the Trump Tower developers gain more access to needed financing as long as the hotel component of the project remains. Of course, this doesn't guarantee anything, but it could be helpful on some level.

[TSmith]

I'm sure all of you have seen this by now, but WDSU Channel 6 in New Orleans did a story on the Trump project. According to the report, the tower will remain at 70 stories. Hotel units are being reduced, as was mentioned earlier. And construction is to begin Fall of 2008. Estimated completion is 36 months after the start of construction. Expect a more slender tower, but still the city's new tallest.

But after reading this thread again from page 1, it is funny how many reports have been proven false. Let's just see how this latest report fares.

[NCB]

^The downsizing isn't suprising, but I'm very happy to see that the height of the tower should remain the same. I was hoping that with all of the building width at the base and mid-section of the tower, the developers could downsize by making the tower more slender, which it looks like they're going to do.

WDSU advertised that story at least two days in advance and made it their 10 o'clock news headliner, but they still haven't uploaded a video or even an article to their website.

[JPKneworleans]

With all of this new info, you'd they would update the website to include press releases.

[sgray]

Here's the WDSU piece on Trump.

[JPKneworleans]

Here's the WDSU piece on Trump.

Not much new on the story.

[JPKneworleans]

Is this new or have I simply been blind to it? I noticed for the very first time on the trumptowerneworleans.com page that there is a "watch video" button. I'm having highspeed problems right now and have not been able to view it, but is this feature new?

[NCB]

Is this new or have I simply been blind to it? I noticed for the very first time on the trumptowerneworleans.com page that there is a "watch video" button. I'm having highspeed problems right now and have not been able to view it, but is this feature new?

JPK, this feature is brand new. I checked the site three days ago for any new information and features, and the video option wasn't there. The video features Donald Trump welcoming viewers and interested buyers to New Orleans, and he spends a little over two minutes describing the tower, its location, and the city of New Orleans. From the information presented, it looks like the video was made in late 2007, but I'm guessing it's been distributed to Trump tenants and interested buyers since then.

To see the video, go to the Trump New Orleans website and click "watch video" on the left-hand side.

[alon504]

JPK, this feature is brand new. I checked the site three days ago for any new information and features, and the video option wasn't there. The video features Donald Trump welcoming viewers and interested buyers to New Orleans, and he spends a little over two minutes describing the tower, its location, and the city of New Orleans. From the information presented, it looks like the video was made in late 2007, but I'm guessing it's been distributed to Trump tenants and interested buyers since then.

To see the video, go to the Trump New Orleans website and click "watch video" on the left-hand side.

I'm confused. Why are they releasing a new video when others are posting that the tower will be much smaller???

[NCB]

I'm confused. Why are they releasing a new video when others are posting that the tower will be much smaller???

It looks like the video was made before plans to scale down were set. I guess the developers put the video up now anyway because they believe it can be an effective marketing tool, even if some of the information is outdated.

[JPKneworleans]

It looks like the video was made before plans to scale down were set. I guess the developers put the video up now anyway because they believe it can be an effective marketing tool, even if some of the information is outdated.

The tower will not be MUCH smaller. The tower will be slimmer. The second setback, which contains much of the condohotel units will, at least from what I have read, become slimmer by eliminating x number of units per floor. From what I understand, the height will remain the same.

By the way....Greetings from Chicago. My hotel room has an incredible view of the Trump Tower Chicago, which is only about six floors from topping out (before the spire goes up). I is absolutely beautiful. I regret that the NOLA version will not be so, uh, grand.

[NCB]

I've been reading the same things, JPK. The the tower should be just as tall, but more slender, and I have absolutely no problem with that.

As for Trump in Chicago, it really is a beautiful building. They've come a very long way from when I was there last, when they had the first 15 or so floors up with their exteriors completed. Chicago is a great city, especially in the summer. In the winter, however, I could never survive there!

[JPKneworleans]

Dana Mowe and I exchanged emails this week. She indicated that the revamped numbers (i.e., removal of lots of condotel units) look great. She indicated to me that the garage is going to be larger and she also indicated that the overall height is not going to change. I have a hunch that it will be shorter, but that there will be a taller spire, thus making it about the same height.

[JPKneworleans]

I guess marketing is finally picking up. There is a third of a page advertisement in the new New Orleans magazine.

[TSmith]

In light of all the problems in the financial markets these days, do any of you really see this happening anymore? I'm losing faith.

[tombarnes]

It doesn't look great for this project, but remember that the Waldorf=Astoria was rebuilt during the Great Depression. Whether this particular project is economically viable may be anothr matter. I'd love to see this happen, as it would be an important affirmation of faith in the city. From an architectural standpoint, I still loathe it immensely.

[tombarnes]

I was in New Orleans at the end of May and saw the sign for the project but nothing more. Is anything happening with this?

[richyb83]

Plans for building Trump Tower in New Orleans are officially dead

The Trump International Hotel & Tower, the excessively hyped 70-story, $400-million condominium project announced the day before Hurricane Katrina turned toward New Orleans, is officially dead.

An artist's rendering of the proposed Trump Tower. The site where the skyscraper was to be built was sold last week at auction to a company that operates a parking lot there.

The Poydras Street parcel where the Trump Tower was to be located was sold at a sheriff's foreclosure auction last Thursday to the operator of the surface parking lot at the site.

While there have been no signs of motion for several years on the project that would have created the tallest building in the city, and a mural of the project painted on a brick building abutting the site has long since been removed, the Florida developers who worked with New York real estate magnate Donald Trump on the project remained silent about its fate, even as other swanky high-rise condo projects fell apart.

Stephen Dwyer, the local attorney for developer Poydras LLC, said that twin hurdles of the storm and the financial crisis were just too great to overcome. "The economy just did not justify going forward," Dwyer said. "The developer still hopes to bring the project online at some point. He has not given up on building a project in New Orleans."

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/plans_for_building_trump_tower.html