Downtown Hotel?

Today's News-Record says that Steve Schnall supports "the possible hotel site on South Orange Ave."  At the BOT meeting when Landmark was awarded the contract for Village hall, the VP told the representatives of the hotel that bid for Village Hall that SO would like a hotel and would work with then to find a location. Anybody know anything about the location?  

I have heard "through the grapevine" that this is being considered for the Ridge tire site...but I do not recall seeing any formal public discussion of this, so I was equally surprised to read the comments in the NR.

michaelgoldberg said:

I have heard "through the grapevine" that this is being considered for the Ridge tire site...but I do not recall seeing any formal public discussion of this, so I was equally surprised to read the comments in the NR.

That's interesting. It's been a while, but my recollection is that I read somewhere that Ridge Tire was closing. I'm reminded of it every time I pass by. It was at least a year ago. It would be a great location for a hotel. 

.

This isn't a resort area.  Would a hotel get much business?

I assume that it wouldn't be a large hotel, but more of a "boutique" hotel, catering to visitors to SHU and parents of students, SOPAC performers, etc. Not tourists. There is a need for that type of hotel. That was what was contemplated in the proposal of the hotel group that made a bid for Village Hall. 

lizziecat said:

This isn't a resort area.  Would a hotel get much business?

Seton Hall parents, prospective students, people visiting friends or relatives with small homes or apartments, businesspeople who have business in the city but who would rather not stay in the city, people needing temporary housing while home improvements are done, and other reasons I'm sure...

Cross posted with Cramer.

Don't forget people who are here for bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, confirmations, funerals and other life cycle events as well as just plain visiting friends and family.  I've known many cases of weddings and funerals where people would have loved a local hotel.  

What about the Marylawn of the Oranges site? 

Vivaldo said:

What about the Marylawn of the Oranges site? 

I think the Ridge Tire site is much more convenient to transit and dining options that hotel patrons would want. 

NO PILOT

I thought that village hall was going to have some hotel aspect to it.  I am I just wrong?

That was one of the original proposals for Village hall but it did not go thru

is the restaurant for village hall proceeding  (and the beer garden!)?

No more Ridge Tire, eh?  Did George and Tony both retire?  They saved our bacon sooo many times when we were in SO.

oots said:

is the restaurant for village hall proceeding  (and the beer garden!)?

By way of background, Landmark Hospitality Group will acquire Village Hall and a "perpetual exclusive easement" for use of the 75-space Village Hall parking lot. The restaurant will have round- the-clock usage of 37 spaces during the day and all spaces after 5:00 pm.  

The primary objection to the restaurant's use of the parking lot comes from the owner of 75 South Orange Ave., which is the building on the corner of South Orange Ave. and Scotland Rd. Several months ago, he said that his tenants were in his building later than 5:00 pm and they needed the spaces in the VH parking lot after 5:00 pm. The owner of the building on Scotland Rd. next to that building  and its tenants also had the same problem. The Village has worked with Landmark and they have agreed to concede their dedicated parking on half of the lot from 6pm - 2am to "shared parking" for all merchants Monday-Thurs. That was a gigantic concession on their part and  other small businesses were happy with the outcome. 

However, as things developed, the owner of 75 South Orange Ave. wants to redevelop his building and add apartments on top of the existing building. This would require at the minimum 35 additional parking spots, and he is not willing to agree to the parking arrangement. The owner of 75 South Orange Ave. has hired an attorney and it is quite likely he will go to court and stop the Village Hall project for his own development needs.  

And if I had known that he donated $2500 to a candidate in the last election I would not have voted for her.  

The rumor, and I stress that it is a rumor, is that Landmark lost interest in the project some months ago and is pursuing large projects elsewhere. If that is correct, then for whom are these easements and the rest of the deal being sought?

I think you have to prove that rumor first, before speculating on the rest.

A company like Landmark is used to having it take years for a project to percolate and is used to having many balls in the air at one time. 

Worth going to the planning board meetings. Several of these issues were discussed last night. Too much to summarize and little finalized.

truth said:

The rumor, and I stress that it is a rumor, is that Landmark lost interest in the project some months ago and is pursuing large projects elsewhere. If that is correct, then for whom are these easements and the rest of the deal being sought?

That rumor is not correct. The Landmark project was discussed at the development committee meeting last night. The matter is before the Planning Board and they have four more witnesses, which will probably take two meetings. There is a PB meeting in June and the final meeting in July.  The development committee did mention the possibility of an appeal by the owner of 75 South Orange Ave. 

thanks for the updates on the landmark project-Cramer

I hope everything works out with the restaurant, however, if for any reason it didn't and Landmark had a change of heart, the South Orange Hotel Group who was in the running with Landmark would still be very interested in the property.  Stony