tombarnes

East Wing, The National Gallery of Art, Washington I.M. Pei, Architect

DoubleTree is a strong possibility. As for Westin, that one may be a bit harder to get in the bag. The number of rooms will have a lot to do with dictating the flag the hotel will carry. If it is under 300 rooms, I would expect a less convention-oriented brand. How many rooms are being discussed for the project?

A rear view of the new Hilton Baltimore from the convention center light-rail station- this is hardly an interesting buiilding, but I am sure it will be a busy hotel

Avalon Project Becomes Four Points Sheraton Assiduous readers of this board may recall a posting regarding the Avalon, a condo-hotel which was to have been created from the tattered remains of the old Gulf Towers at 940 Beach Bouleavrd. Now it appears as though the property will be rebuilt into a Sheraton Four Points hotel. The rendering looks nice enough, but I liked the sleek interiors pictured in the Avalon's website. I suppose this is aonther casualty of the condo market. In any event, getting this prominent 10 storied building back on its feet is especially important for Biloxi. The Sun Herald Avalon website

I'm sure the new stores will be welcome. It is a shame, though, to see opportunities for new urbanism being lost on the Coast. I understand the economic factors which have guided Biloxi away from New Urbanism, but I'm pleased that a few towns on the Coast are looking in this direction, even if it is only for inspiration.

The guitar was about the only thing at the Hard Rock to survive the wrath of Katrina.

The Old State Capitol building, Jackson- now being restored after damage in the wake of Katrina

Please do visit DC. The city has improved significantly over the past twenty years or so. Baltimore has likewise enjoyed a renaissance- at least parts of it have. Both cities seem to be weathering the economic storm better than most, though who knows what will happen next...D.C. is still somewhat insulated from most recessions. Thanks for your kind words on the pictures in the thread. Thanks to Eridony, we have a strong documentaion of Baltimore which we have not had before. I have been enjoying your San Francisco shots.

The Regions Bank building, Jackson

Baltimore- Four Seasons Hotel and Legg Mason Tower There is already a rendering of this in the Baltimore projects thread, but I thought I'd include the rendering of the new Four Seasons and the adjacent Legg Mason tower on the signboard at the project site. This project broke ground not too long ago and is rising fairly quickly.

Isle Expansion The delayed plans for an expansion of the Isle of Capri hotel and casino are back on track again after about a year of being shelved. Don't look for another room tower at this point, but the $160m expansion should bring a new land-based casino, new restaurants in the space where the casino currently operates and renovation of the south tower of guest rooms. This is expected to make the property more competitive with the new Margaritaville Casino which will open in 2010. There is additional land for more rooms, but the company will likely evaluate its business over the next couple of years before plunging ahead with more rooms. The effects of the current gas crisis have yet to be determined. My own take is that while the Coast may suffer to a certain extent, the long-term effects may actually help the Coast attract visitors within a certain radius. The Sun-Herald

The Beau Rivage is still going strong these days! Nice shot Richy!

The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson

Not to throw water on Five Guys, but their quality has declined significantly in the past year or so. The burgers are good, but they are too thin and they will not cook them any way other than well done. the potatoes they use for the fries are great, but here again they tend to saturate them in oil. I used to visit one around the corner, but the quality has declined to the point that they have been scratched off my list. I think you guys could do better in BR than Five Guys.

This situation isn't unique to Florida. How do you think most people in upstate New York feel? Should the rest of Nevada secede from the state because Las Vegas gets most of the money? I understand how South Florida might feel distant from tallahassee in many ways, but dividing the state does not make sense. Thus divided, Florida would lose stature.

Federal Courthouse, St. Andrew's Cathedral and the Lamar Life Building on capitol Street in downtown Jackson

Office building on Connecticut Avenue near Dupont Circle

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It is a disturbing trend indeed. I also noticed that the Jackson/Gulfport flights were being cut. Take heart, though. The otherwise booming airport in Fort Lauderdale is losing all service from United this fall. Not that I will particularly miss United....

Farish Street Announcement Possible It's quite possible that an announcement about the reorganization of the long-stalled Farish Street project could be made in a couple of weeks. If David Watkins gets involved, this could only be a good thing for the city. I would like to see the scope of the project expanded to include more residential components in addition to the restaurants, bars and retail elements which are planned. If done correctly, this could indeed be just the thing for downtown Jackson. The Clarion-Ledger

If you are referring to the Shark's Head in Biloxi, it is being rebuilt. I have not heard of any immediate plans for anything similar in Gulfport. Gulfport's rebuilding has been hampered by the hanging cloud of the port issue as well as confusion and tension in City Hall. I am not sure whether or not such a shop would be in the best interest of Gulfport at the moment. Your thoughts?

To the best of my knowledge, the 420 room hotel addition will be about seven or eight floors high. As you have noted, plans call for the total renovation of the former Casino Magic tower. The renderings released so far have been rather more atmospheric than specific on details. The ovewrall look is vaguely Floridian with metal roofing and lots of balconies, piers and open space surrounding a central pool area. I have seen very little which explains how (or if) the tower will be renovated to relate to the new buildings. The tower is rather plain and could use something to lend distinction to its bulk.

Shopping center in Fondren, Jackson

While we are on the subject, one of the elevators in the Robert E. Lee building

Farish Street- Recap Here's a recap of the woes of the Farish Street project. Essentially, this project has not had good stewardship in the past. I only hope its troubles will soon be over. Housing is essential- Wet Weillie's and the daiquiri bars can wait. It's understandable that the local banks were soured on this project. The Jackson Free Press