Tallahassee Convention Hotel

[TD]

[insituphoto]

Originally published August 23, 2006

Revised site plan for hotel OK'd

By Ferdie De Vega

DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

The Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center Authority has approved a revised site plan for the Marriott hotel project.

At its meeting this morning, architect Rick Barnett presented the site plan to board members.

"This is a design that has evolved over the last two or three years," he said.

The Civic Center Authority will consider more detailed design plans for the building at its next monthly meeting.

Read more in tomorrow's Tallahassee Democrat.

[Florida]

This is great news!

Note:

This creating NEW threads for every headline has got to stop. We'll end up getting ourselves in trouble creating numerous threads for the same topic! We need to start using the search feature to locate threads within this subforum, or go through each page manuallly. We've got to look for the topic before we create a new one. At this point its no longer an option.

[poonther]

This is great news!

Note:

This creating NEW threads for every headline has got to stop. We'll end up getting ourselves in trouble creating numerous threads for the same topic! We need to start using the search feature to locate threads within this subforum, or go through each page manuallly. We've got to look for the topic before we create a new one. At this point its no longer an option.

Someone DID post this news in the OLD topic thread 3 minutes prior to when this new thread was started. And they asked a few questions.....

[Florida]

I noticed that also! And I appreciate that someone very much!

[south park county]

The City Commision deleted the Nov. 15 deadline on the building permit. Won't that just encourage a more lax schedule on moving the project forward? Thoughts?

[Florida]

In my opinion it does lax standards a bit, SPC. I've been wondering why Nancy Linnan and crew were working so hard to get the commission to change its mind on the decision to have a dead line. Afterall they've had over 8 years to design, redesign, and redesign, they weren't being unfair by imposing a deadline. If I had my way, they would have done it years ago when the idea was new.

This project, more than any other has held up progress downtown, when another Hotel developer could have come along with a desire to build us a new 4-star hotel they didn't because the threat of this one coming online around the sametime wouldn't work for Tallahassee, when just one hotel would.

I'm still excited about seeing the new design. I better not still look like this:

this:

or this:

[Monticello-1827]

i bet you it looks similar... this is the most drawn out project ever...

[poonther]

i bet you it looks similar... this is the most drawn out project ever...

What year did they start talking about this hotel??

Think its completion will take longer than Blairstone Rd....the road the told us no one wanted but now when I'm on it especially around 5pm it seems everyone else is on it too.

[Florida]

What year did they start talking about this hotel??

Think its completion will take longer than Blairstone Rd....the road the told us no one wanted but now when I'm on it especially around 5pm it seems everyone else is on it too.

My first renderings are from 98. I believe initial talks began in 96.

[BHCav]

What year did they start talking about this hotel??

Think its completion will take longer than Blairstone Rd....the road the told us no one wanted but now when I'm on it especially around 5pm it seems everyone else is on it too.

Exactly. Same with the Thomasville Rd. overpass.

[Monticello-1827]

Once it is built I am sure it will be a great facility and really contribute something downtown is missing after 5:00 p.m., more bodies. Now TJ said this thing has been in the planning stages since 1998. Using my public education that means this hotel has been "in the pipeline for about EIGHT years!

to compare:

Empire State Building: Built in 1 year 45 days

Gold Gate Bridge: 1 year 5 months

Hoover Dam: 5 years

Tallahassee: Plan, Grab a Sweet Tea and Wait a Spell...

and yes i know the above doesn't take planning time into account but regardless, eight years is ridiculous.

[poonther]

Wow Monti, interesting and telling perspective on this project.

[Monticello-1827]

Wow Monti, interesting and telling perspective on this project.

thanks, i just think the delay when compared to other projects shows tallahassee has a problem when it comes to getting things done...

[SkyDave]

I guess one must be careful when it comes to these things......

[Monticello-1827]

I guess one must be careful when it comes to these things......

exactly! wouldn't want to make a decision too fast!

anyone want to take the under on ground breaking within a decade of conception (2008)? not me.

[poonther]

Looks like more delays...................

This will NEVER be constructed in my lifetime

[BHCav]

Shocking.

[mracca]

Why do we we need this Giant Hotel any ways? Dont we have plenty of them around the downtown area as it is? I don't even think THOSE ever get booked up. I would not mind having it if we had more to draw people to stay here. It would take years before Tally would even make a profit after building this multi-million dollar hotel.

Dont get me wrong I am all for development, but I would like to see money spent on something else.

[seminole]

The same script with the same cast. This thing is just not going to happen with the current parties involved. Surely, there are other developers who would be interested in developing this prime piece of property.

I think a nice hotel with a convention center would have been ideal for this location.

[Florida]

Why do we we need this Giant Hotel any ways? Dont we have plenty of them around the downtown area as it is? I don't even think THOSE ever get booked up. I would not mind having it if we had more to draw people to stay here. It would take years before Tally would even make a profit after building this multi-million dollar hotel.

Dont get me wrong I am all for development, but I would like to see money spent on something else.

The goal in bringing this hotel is to allow Tallahassee to host conventions as many capital cities do. More visitors, more money for the local economy. Further, this was in the original plan for the Civic Center complex that never materialized from the 1970s. The small number of rooms downtown, do indeed fill up quickly for football games, graduations, and legislative sessions each year. Downtown could probably support another 300 rooms, having had 110 recently constructed at the corner of Gaines and Rail Road.

[BHCav]

The goal in bringing this hotel is to allow Tallahassee to host conventions as many capital cities do. More visitors, more money for the local economy. Further, this was in the original plan for the Civic Center complex that never materialized from the 1970s. The small number of rooms downtown, do indeed fill up quickly for football games, graduations, and legislative sessions each year. Downtown could probably support another 300 rooms, having had 110 recently constructed at the corner of Gaines and Rail Road.

Downtown would easily support 300 more rooms. How many cities the size of Tallahassee have a lot that big going completely to waste downtown. Right across the street from an arena to boot.

[georgeglass]

Tallahassee definitely loses out on convention business because of the lack of facilities. People who book and attend these things to have a one-stop shop kind of set up. Where I live in Lexington, KY, we have 2 hotels, 23,000 seat arena, 2 shopping and eating centers, and many meeting rooms and banquet rooms. It really allows us to compete in this area. I can also vouch for the fact that the hotel rooms do book up. I used to work at the Inn at Killearn and we would even be booked up during certain times of the year. People often have to stay in Thomasville or even Madison because the lack of availability.

[mracca]

hum Makes since. Thanks, for the input. I guess we could use it then!

[south park county]

I guess we can finally lay it down. RIP o miserable decade long fiasco.