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As for clearing out portions of the Convention Center, this is not feasible and likely. The Convention Center is only getting older (not saying it too old at this point), but the fact is the city will always need to keep putting money into it to update, expand, etc. I think that revising the long term Convention Center plan would be wise so we can start seeing an integration of these principles and goals. As for the map of extending streets "through" some of the NorthSouth streets, I think it's a great idea. Perhaps there is an opportunity to connect each of the individual buildings with convention space under the streets. That would be very nice and would make it so we wouldn't "lack" in any degree and thus missing out on important conventions like Comicon. A few light connection bridges connecting pedestrians across the streets (like 5th AVe) would be neat to see as well. With the released plans, I am not sure if I like the idea of having the convention center come all the to the waters edge. Not sure if that's a healthy thing; I'm afraid that it will only make that water edge area a dead zone, and inactive. I am a huge fan of having a nice green area along the waters edge and once the harbor bridge pedestrian bridge open we will see a lot more people from East Village using it more often, and I hope we will see a boost in the use of the ferry from that new ferry stop. |
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I appreciate this forum as there are some very interesting ideas that get shared, but as the followers and contributors know there is so little vision in this 'Town' by elected leaders that nothing gets done to move San Diego into a higher tier of Cities. |
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I don't understand why we give up prime space along the waterfront for convention space. Those at the convention are inside the large halls, with no view of the bay anyway. And when they get out of their convention for the day, they can then enjoy bay front activities should they choose to do so.
The expansion would barely keep the SD convention space in the top 15 spaces nationwide as many of the others are also expanding. I'd rather see the convention space be built elsewhere in downtown, in an area with trolley access, and in an area that can allow for some expansion to the size that will keep the SD convention space in the top 10 nationwide. The waterfront should be for the daily use of the citizens of San Diego, not a select few on random days throughout the year held up in space where the intent isn't to enjoy the outside, but meetings inside. |
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There are good "different" designs and "bad" different ones I am all for thinking out of the box, and I truly see how boring SD is even compared to proposals on the LA thread that are much more original and edgy But I'd take boring over some poorly designed piece of turd like the Spinnaker was, it did not look edgy and grand, it looked cheap and pathetic :jester: |
San Diego is a NIMBY hotbead
If you ever want any proof that San Diego is a haven for anti-development NIMBY psychos, just read the comments sections when a development story comes out in the UT.
Today, there is an article about anti-progress city councilman Carl DeMaio pushing for a public vote on building a new City Hall (he is against it), and the comments overwhelmingly show people here want to vote 'NO' http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...mment-10570745 Here is a taste of what San Diegan's have to say about a new city hall from the UT comments section : jnojr "Here's my vote: No. I have no problem with the city being governed from an old, drab building. And I'm more than fine if they cry they're "running out of room"... stop increasing the size of government, stop hiring more entitled union employees. Working, taxpaying citizens would be better off with a 20% across-the-board reduction in government. Slash right through everything. The "takers" won't be so thrilled, but I don't particularly care. Move somewhere else." GroundAndPoundIsBack "A brand-spanking new city hall?? BWAHHAH. How about Katrina-style trailers for the city hall trash to work out of? At least the crap quality work will match the crap work space " LightningBolt ""No" to building a new city hall. Especially in a time like this when the city is so short of funds. " playsomeskynyrd "I say demolish the current city hall and don't replace it. That way the city officials will have no place to work and hopefully we can get rid of them that way " SunnyDeigo "I will vote "No." If you need more office space, fire some of the deadwood. And anyone who deals with the city knows there's still plenty of deadwood. " Licentia1963 "Tear it down and put the dog park there! Its already full of sh*t anyway!" -With THIS kind of attitude, San Diego will never be a great city. These people can't even seperate in their own minds the difference between government BUILDINGS and government WORKERS If you don't like current elected officials, vote them out, government officals are just transitional, but city hall buildings say something about our city. They represent our city, not whoever happens to be mayor or on the city council Voting to keep an inadequate, old, crumbling, decaying, emabrassing city hall because you happen to not like the current government makes absolutely no sense. |
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I still have hope that someday, someone with some brains and vision will take this 'town' by storm and lift it up. My hope dwindles by the day. leadership wise, I still think this town is very ripe for the picking. |
Anyone still think that hotels are not overplanned/overbuilt in downtown?
Sunstone prepared to turn over W San Diego to bank The Associated Press 4:47 p.m. June 7, 2009 SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. said Sunday it will default on the June mortgage payment for its swanky W Hotel San Diego property and turn over the 258-room downtown hotel to lenders, after failing to lower interest payments. The real estate investment trust said Sunday its San Diego hotel has been hurt by "significant and continuing deterioration in demand for luxury lodging" as well as the opening of luxury boutique hotels, two additional Starwood-branded hotels and a 1,190-room convention hotel nearby. Sunstone purchased the W San Diego in June 2006 for $96 million from developers including Starwood Hotels, Gatehouse Capital and Multi-Employer Development Partners. The hotel carries a $65 million, fixed-rate commercial mortgage-backed securities loan with a 6.14 percent interest rate, which comes due Jan. 1, 2018. The mortgage principal translates to more than $250,000 in debt per room. San Clemente, Calif.-based Sunstone said its loan special servicer has declined the company's attempts at renegotiating interest payments lower. Since Sunstone feels the W San Diego is now worth much less than what it owes, the company would rather turn it over to the bank than have hefty interest payments continue to drain cash from its balance sheet. "While the company maintains more than adequate liquidity to support or repay this mortgage, we believe a conveyance of this hotel in settlement of the debt would be in the best interest of our stockholders," Chief Financial Officer Ken Cruse, said in a statement. Cruse said the move would deleverage Sunstone and add to its funds from operations – an industry profit measure – and credit profile. Sunstone Hotel warned it could pursue similar options with a limited number of its other mortgaged hotels, but declined to identify any properties that might be in danger of default. Last month, Sunstone amended terms on some of its senior notes so that any default on less than $300 million worth of debt won't trigger noteholders to call in payment of their bonds. That would make it easier for the company to potentially shed other troubled hotels in the same fashion. As of March 31, the company owned 43 hotels in the upper-upscale segment operated under brands including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont and Starwood. It has been restructuring its credit facility and soliciting bids for new mortgage debt on several of its hotels. Hotel real estate investment trusts have been hit hard by the credit crunch and by job losses which have curbed business and vacation travel. Analysts expect hotel margins will decline this year, given that hotels aren't cutting major services as they struggle to attract travelers. Sunstone Hotel said that across its portfolio, revenue per available room – an industry performance measure known as RevPAR – slid 24.5 percent to $98.73 in the quarter ended May 31. That's nearly double the 13 percent drop it saw in the first quarter. RevPAR for the month of May fell 24.4 percent and year-to-date is down 19.6 percent to $97.53. "We continue to run our business with the expectation that 2009 will be one of the deepest cyclical troughs the lodging industry has endured," Arthur Buser, president and chief executive, said in a statement. "While we are generally pleased with our results thus far this year, as our recent revenue declines are largely the result of lower rate, rather than reduced occupancy, we expect margin control will become increasingly difficult." Sunstone said the company has asked hotel operators to develop "zero-based" budgets and adjust staffing models for minimum business levels. The REIT plans to hold a conference call at 5 p.m. EDT Monday to update stockholders on recent business performance and transactions. |
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I like the way Strata is looking.
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Pics or it didn't happen. :D
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I hope the new city hall does get built; I always felt San Diego needed a new one; the current one is gross and is obviously inadequate for a city of well over a million people.
I find it interesting, though, that before the current one was built, the city hall shared space with what is now solely the San Diego County Administration Bldg. |
So this is my prompt for my history of San Diego class i'm taking:
A) What are recommendations for ways we can stimulate the local regional economy? What are ways that SD has dealt with economic challenges in the past? B) Constraints faced? How much of will our history determine what's possible? Should we worry about prop 13? Water? Education? C) How should I think about these options? What tools of policy and economic analysis are available to me to understand the pros and cons of the choices? What questions should I ask and how should I evaluate the proposals? ---- I'm writing mostly about the airport/convention center/stadium and how they can help. Not sure if prop 13 affects things much. What recommendations would you guys have? |
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And there was a follow-up story today saying the mayor wants it to go to a vote, so it looks like the new city hall will be in the hands of the voters in other words, embrace the crumbling asbestos laden roach motels we have now, they are here to stay |
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