Comments on: Hyatt Place Hoists Sign Over Grandview Yard

By: surber17

surber17 — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:34:34 +0000

awra2001 – do you have a link to the P&Z minutes? I’m also very interested in phase 2 of this. Since it has filled most (if not all) of the space with tenants you would think phase 2 would start pretty much right after phase 1 ends.

By: awra2001

awra2001 — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:09:28 +0000

I know this has been a quiet board for awhile, but living in the backyard of GY on Northwest, I’m pleased with the way it’s coming along, but there’s still this part of me (and if you look at the P&Z minutes, they actually put this in there) that I’m concerned it’s ultimately going to look like Arena District, Jr… and thus far it indeed seems to be the case. But, again, this is just Phase I… once some of the condos and apartments come in, I’ll be excited how it’s going to look.

Has anyone ever made some sort of comment about how they’re planning on integrating GY into the rest of the neighborhood?

By: surber17

surber17 — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:08:39 +0000

I can think of multiple reasons why I would start with a hotel in that location first:

1. Its close enough to campus that it could house people for football season.

2. The other building for phase 1 is an office. When a new business is looking for a spot to lease one of the main questions will be “Where is the nearest hotel for customers in from out of town”. You can’t get much closer than right next door

3. Hotel guests spend the most money in the shortest period of time (just think about the average household – maybe once every 3 weeks will they go out to dinner and even less frequently will they spend a decent amount of money on a retail trip whereas when you’re staying at a hotel you will prob. eat out for every meal and if shopping is available, you’ll at least go check it out). With a hotel there, I could see it as a huge positive push for phase 2 to have retail and restaurants.

By: Walker

Walker — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:46:49 +0000

My understanding is that when a large convention looks to book facilities, they examine how many types of hotel rooms are available within a certain radius of the facility.

Hyatt Place is just over a mile from the Convention Center, so I would figure that it would factor into those equations the same way that the Westin Hotel would, which is essentially the same distance from the Convention Center.

Perhaps 1.2 miles isn’t the most optimal location for visitors to stay when in town for a convention, but it’s still a very short trip, especially when shuttles could be easily used to transport visitors, which is often the case for larger conventions.

As for serving “no specific need”, I don’t think that’s the case. Plenty of people come to Columbus for a variety of reasons. Our city is growing, and our population is growing, so it only makes sense that more hotel rooms are necessary to accommodate a variety of types of visitors.

By: okphi1124

okphi1124 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:45:59 +0000

Walker, do you think this hotel will be considered to further fill that need? along the lines of my original quandary, is it too far out? i realize this hotel may get some bookings that will come if everything downtown is booked for a certain event, but why would anyone choose this over something closer, given the choice? i guess that’s what is confusing here. it seems like this hotel fills no specific need, other than to catch some over-spill.

By: Walker

Walker — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:33:11 +0000

GW_Justice Says: IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been thinking about the strategy for building the hotel first in G.Y. , what segment of the market are they filling? There are plenty of hotels downtown. I thought the whole reason that the new Hilton is being built is because we DON'T have enough hotels Downtown for the types of conventions and events that we're unable to book. Even with the Hilton adding ~500 new rooms, we're still far below the room rate of other similar cities from what I've read.

By: HogRoaster

HogRoaster — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:23:34 +0000

Not to stray too far off topic, but the link above about Nationwide’s relocation of jobs to downtown from Dublin is great news for CBus and Grandview. I just hope some of that TIF $$ that Coleman is reluctantly coughing up to widen 3rd Ave is used to make 3rd Ave more bike friendly under the railroad bridge. Currently, that is about the only route Grandview residents can take to get onto the Olentangy Trail and it’s pretty dangerous.

By: GW_Justice

GW_Justice — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:57:03 +0000

I’ve been thinking about the strategy for building the hotel first in G.Y. , what segment of the market are they filling? There are plenty of hotels downtown.

I wonder if the strategy is to appeal to the people who are frightened by downtown. The average burb dweller thinks that downtowns are filled with menacing criminals and annoying beggars, G.Y. is in comfortable Grandview.

By: okphi1124

okphi1124 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:37:50 +0000

oh for reals? that’s very helpful; thanks.

By: Walker

Walker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:06:44 +0000

Uhm… you are allowed to venture off the hotel property when staying there. ;)

By: okphi1124

okphi1124 — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:23:17 +0000

so what all will be open September 1st that will entice anyone to book a room at this thing? is that when the whole phase will be complete? other than a deli, a gym, and office building, and a hotel, there’s grass. seems like this hotel might be pretty vacant for a while.

By: dru

dru — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:22:09 +0000

@neo – the old Big Bear warehouses are part of Grandview Yard and will eventually be torn down in latter phases of GVY development. Gowdy is a separate development, and had no access to that land.

of course that still doesn’t make me lament the misuse of space at Gowdy.

By: futureman

futureman — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:46:43 +0000

'Significant' jobs announcement planned Wednesday, July 14, 2010 09:26 AM THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A "significant jobs announcement" is planned today near where Nationwide Realty Investors is building Grandview Yard. Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Nationwide CEO Steve Rasmussen, Grandview Heights Mayor Ray DeGraw, Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel and others will be on hand for the announcement at 1 p.m. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/14/grandview-yard-announcement.html?sid=101

By: Soaktree

Soaktree — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:10:29 +0000

Walker, the Jason’s Deli is going in the first floor of my future office building but I’m not sure any other retail will be there when it first opens. I’m hoping a local brew pub or similarly alcohol-related business leases space in Phase I…

By: NEOBuckeye

NEOBuckeye — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:28:09 +0000

I drive by Gowdy Field every day. And every day, I have been thinking the exact same thing, Walker. They could easily build at least three more buildings where the parking lots currently are (or will be). The old Big Bear Warehouse still exists behind these buildings. Why couldn’t they demolish it and put all of the parking in that space?