New highrise?
- Thread starter bmuff
- Start date
Doesn't that only have like 30 rooms? A real hotel within walking distance of the Iowa State Center/Campustown would do pretty well I would think.
What and make the city give up their automatic DUI revenue money through the late night traps. Why on earth would the city want to do that when it can build in a floodplain off of a frontage road!
Development in Ames is run by idiots, as far as I can see.
Yeah a basketball practice facility out by your apartment complexes. Haha Nice. Will be smart when a player has to drive out there every day. Ice, collision, etc.
Geronomous my tangential ramblings make my head spin too. ;-)
5 story high-rise? hahaha what is this, North Dakota?
I had heard this during the fall. Whatever lucky bar owner gets to lease in the new 1st floor will hit the jack pot. I'm hoping they open up the floor plan for a nice big bar. Welch Ave. definitely needs it.
This mixed-use type of development will work wonders right on Welch. You have the prime spot in all of the campus area for apartment leasing and retail. I bet the developer is chomping at the bit. Not to mention the previous buildings were dirtholes probably purchased at firesale levels.
I'd love to see a developer snatch up the land/buildings where T-Galaxy and the Post office are and creat another mixed-use building. Problem is, I don't enough Ames developers able to front the capital to do a project like that. For another day I guess.
I had heard this during the fall. Whatever lucky bar owner gets to lease in the new 1st floor will hit the jack pot. I'm hoping they open up the floor plan for a nice big bar. Welch Ave. definitely needs it.
This mixed-use type of development will work wonders right on Welch. You have the prime spot in all of the campus area for apartment leasing and retail. I bet the developer is chomping at the bit. Not to mention the previous buildings were dirtholes probably purchased at firesale levels.
I'd love to see a developer snatch up the land/buildings where T-Galaxy and the Post office are and creat another mixed-use building. Problem is, I don't enough Ames developers able to front the capital to do a project like that. For another day I guess.
Dont hotels usually have a pretty fair (read high) room tax rate, that goes to the city? The only reason I can see why this hasnt happened is b/c the University wants the hotel out by hwy 30 to stay in business.
Welch from Knapp to Lincoln Way needs to be a 'pedestrian only' zone similar to the Ped Mall in the town not to be named in Eastern Iowa.
It's gotta be a bar/restaurant in this area, not to mention the demographics of the immediate area. Plus, the above building you're talking about (former McDonald's site), is a tad disconnected from the heart of Welch. Retail tenants won't be as interested in that spot as they would something between Knapp and Welch.
And I'm pretty sure the development we're talking about is the building Sgt. Pepper's is in. (could be wrong, sure have been before)
There is a B&B at the old frat, I think near the softball fields. Close enough to stumble back to. But yes hotel would be great.
I thought the Ames Smart Growth people considered these buildings "historic", so they should never be torndown/renovated...
100% agree!!!
IMO, it has to be a Marriott/Holiday Inn/Sheraton (nice brand name) with apx. 120-150 rooms. I think the surface lot behind the Lutheran church across from Legacy tower and Cyclone plaza would be prime spot. Off of the main Welch strip but close enough to campus and the sporting venues. It's enough open land to keep the developer's basis down without a ton of demo, and a sizeable piece of property.
That would effectively saturate the Ames market and have an adverse effect on the Gateway and the other new hotel out on South Dakota.
Problem is, would a national chain take a risk in an area like this in a town with a population of 50,000?
A little off topic, but can someone tell me if anything is happening with the old frat house on Hayward. When I left Ames, developers were planning to turn it into a bed and breakfast, but were in need of a special variance from the city to have the plans approved. I know that they purchased the property, but havent been to that part of town in quite a while.
Also just a thought on the Welch "high rise." If it is happening where I think it is that property is owned by the Chicago company that purchased most of Cochranes apartments a few years back.(if Im not mistaken) I think I would feel a little better about it if it were a local developer, like McCullough. I am for it as long as it is tastefully done and adds to the area instead of hurting the area.
Also just a thought on the Welch "high rise." If it is happening where I think it is that property is owned by the Chicago company that purchased most of Cochranes apartments a few years back.(if Im not mistaken) I think I would feel a little better about it if it were a local developer, like McCullough. I am for it as long as it is tastefully done and adds to the area instead of hurting the area.
Union hotel doesn't count. Like someone said, it has about 30 rooms and is just far enough away not to stumble. As someone else said, the tax revenue from hotel rooms would definitely be a boon to the city.
If it is happening where I think it is that property is owned by the Chicago company that purchased most of Cochranes apartments a few years back.(if Im not mistaken) I think I would feel a little better about it if it were a local developer, like McCullough. I am for it as long as it is tastefully done and adds to the area instead of hurting the area.[/QUOTE]
I rented from Ev Cochran back in the day, gives me shudders thinking about his dirty tactics.
Parking will always be a big issue in an area like campustown, and that will limit a ton of possibilities. Another limiter of the US's car culture anti-pedestrian mentality.
People would rather drive their fat butts 3 blocks instead of walking.
I could go all day on this though.
I rented from Ev Cochran back in the day, gives me shudders thinking about his dirty tactics.
Parking will always be a big issue in an area like campustown, and that will limit a ton of possibilities. Another limiter of the US's car culture anti-pedestrian mentality.
People would rather drive their fat butts 3 blocks instead of walking.
I could go all day on this though.
I agree. The problem is the firestation. The second someone dies because the city closed off Welch and the firemen couldn't get there soon enough, it would be lawsuit city. The city has talked about making it a one way street, but still have firestation issues.