Raleigh Marriott City Center Hotel

[avery]

I don't think any residential needs to be added to this project. Lord knows that this hotel has had enough problems thus far. I don't think changing the scope of this project would be a good idea.

[Jones_]

The adjacent city owned properties will have residential components...in general the convention district will have a nice size population by 2008/2009 or so.

[dmccall]

^ By that he means Site 1 and Site 4(The Lafayette).

[Subway Scoundrel]

I agree with the other posters. The near-by city owned lots for condos is the right location. I don't think height is an issue with the hotel, it is more of a Developers

[pack-man]

I agree with the other posters. The near-by city owned lots for condos is the right location. I don't think height is an issue with the hotel, it is more of a Developers

[urbanesq]

I tend to agree. I think there will be enough residential with the development of the other city-owned sites and that this should stick to its mission of being a convention hotel. I am hopeful that the business case and the city's vision can be reconciled into something that's architecturally more interesting than the first go-round, and that maintains a strong street focus like the more recent attempts.

[avery]

When will we see/hear new design revisions by?

[avery]

It appears the city will be discussing the hotel again today.

http://www.wral.com/news/7264781/detail.html

[ChiefJoJo]

Last item on council agenda today:

S. CONTINUED MEETING

1. SP-23-05 - Marriott Hotel

The Council will reconvene in the Urban Design Center to discuss SP-23-05 - Marriott Downtown Hotel.

[dmccall]

Glad y'all dug that up for us. Why in the world do they need to meet at the the UDC for this? Are there some resources there that they don't have in the main Chamber? I would love to watch this meeting on TV, but as far as I'm concerned, it seems like they are ducking the cameras on this.

[avery]

That's a good question. I would love to see it on RTN if it were televised to hear exactly what is being discussed, asked, etc.

[RaleighLover]

BREAKING NEWS: I just heard on the News that they reached a compromise for the hotel. Instead of 50% stucko it'll be 25%, apparently.

[plus2]

Honestly, I don't mind a little EIFS. I just don't like ALL eifs. So this sounds good to me. I hope more of that percentage is taken by glass. I think brick or stone would look just as much like a big wall as EIFS.

[orulz]

EFIS really isn't the end of the world. They just need to make the roof look better... the big, wide, flat-topped box design just doesn't tickle my fancy.

[dmccall]

Yep,

It's not the EFIS that is the huge problem (they used it on the Bellagio). It's these three things:

• Roofline

• Window shape

• Lack of surface relief

They could cover that box in italian marble and it would still look like the cheap Westgate Tower.

I'll wait until we see new renderings before I move on to the next analysis of this thing.

[Damien]

They could cover that box in italian marble and it would still look like the cheap Westgate Tower.

Hilarious

[bdp]

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/410284.html

[MR-2]

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/410284.html

That's a depressing read. So basically we're waiting another two weeks for the slightly modified plans to show up, and once again the council will have a hard time but begrudgingly say no to it. I can almost guarantee that Mariott will make no adjustments that improve the hotel beyond the very slightest point.

Here's what we need: a good lobby, good connections to Fay street and the CC, some sort of tower shape at least more interesting than a phone book, and a roof that is more ornate than the suburban tin and stucco they're currently flirting with.

[ChiefJoJo]

Now it all depends on Kekas' vote. This will be crucial--if she votes no, that could set the hotel project back quite a while and setback the scheduled opening timeline with the new RCC.

[Subway Scoundrel]

Now it all depends on Kekas' vote. This will be crucial--if she votes no, that could set the hotel project back quite a while and setback the scheduled opening timeline with the new RCC.

My guess is Kekas will vote yes. She is a developers' friend.

[Transplant]

Aside from the lack of a 'cap' on the top of this thing (which apparently is too much to ask, according to the mayor), is there an objection to this?

Or is the basic/boring design enough to object to?

[MR-2]

Aside from the lack of a 'cap' on the top of this thing (which apparently is too much to ask, according to the mayor), is there an objection to this?

Or is the basic/boring design enough to object to?

If it weren't in a major skyline area it wouldn't matter so much. They really will get the prime spot. So the question is whether we can stand to see something marginally better than a Super 8 sitting next to Hannover II. I'd hate for us to build an hotel we wind up tearing down in a few decades because, like the old CC, it was too lacking in foresight.

[blueize74]

If it weren't in a major skyline area it wouldn't matter so much. They really will get the prime spot. So the question is whether we can stand to see something marginally better than a Super 8 sitting next to Hannover II. I'd hate for us to build an hotel we wind up tearing down in a few decades because, like the old CC, it was too lacking in foresight.

Very well said...

[ChiefJoJo]

At the same time, there are fears that the developer will pull out, and leave us with no hotel at all when the RCC opens in 2008. We don't want that either. The best solution would be some sort of compromise.

Check out Bob Geary's column on the hotel in the Indy.

[RaleighLover]

Very well said...

I second that. Based on the renderings it will cover up a lot of Hannover II and we don't want an ugly box covering up Raleigh's most magnificient building... that would be like taking the skyline backwards, not forwards.