I've lived in San Diego my whole life. For the past 10 years or so I have been paying enthusiastic attention to the gentrification of the downtown area but have been a little dissapointed with how some of it has turned out. In my opinion, it has become too high end and fake in a lot of places. I believe that San Diego's best assets are being ignored by most of these developments with so much attention being focused instead on hipping dt San Diego up for newly arrived yuppies.

The Se' will be DOA in 90 days. At these prices, they will be lucky to get 25% occupancy.

Even though it isn't at this point (yet), I will be tracking it through the foreclosure and BK courts.

Why would any traveler choose to stay at that location, especially when the room rate is higher than their competitors?

Speaking of hotels, I made an observation last night (albeit a very odd one) while looking at the new Hilton Convention Center hotel. What I saw was that it seemed that only the upper half of the hotel was occupied with room lights on while the lower half did not have any lights on whatsoever. Keep in mind that this was not late at night, it was 7:30PM to be exact. Anyone know what's up or was this just a very strange coincidence that all of the room lights in the lower half of the building happened to all be off at once?

I hope your wrong, but think you are right. The only thing this hotel had going for it was the Setai name, very good reputation in Miami Beach on NY, and now that it doesn't even have that I don't understand why someone would stay there

I could see a hotel like this on the bay, maybe like where Lane Field or NBC is slated doing well, but I don't see it at that location :(

Either the lower floors are not ready for occupancy or they have not sold enough rooms :) I see the hotel every night from my balcony.. Upper lights only.

Maybe it has something to do with that one accident?

I forgot what happened...

And oh yea, Chargers in the playoffs!!

I work for Hilton Supply Management and we did this project. A Hilton Hotel cannot open its doors without being fully ready to rent every room, with a small margin for individual room issues. The Hotel is completely done as far as know and there isn't any additional installation items left. So if the bottom floors aren't occupied, it's because they are not being sold.

What is the reason SDPD won't sign off on their liquor license? They are a grocery store, like Albertson's. I thought that they can't not approve it without cause.

Crackertastik, it sounds like you're in the same business as myself. I work for BuyEfficient. We run a procurement consortium for over 850 hotels (especially Sunstone) linking them to price negociated products.

Are you based locally or out of Beverly Hills??

We are based in Beverly Hills at the Headquarters Complex. I grew up in San Diego which is why i frequent this thread so much.

Hilton Supply Management is a subsidiary of Hilton. We do most/all of the owned and managed hotels within our family of brands uses our services. Franchisies can opt to use a competitor, but must allow us to bid if the project is over a certain dollar amount. And we usually do well when accounting for management of the project, procurement, and Logistics.

Our new CEO Chris Nesetta immediately tried to dump us when he came on board and tried to use his old Marriott/Hyatt procurement group - Avendra but that company lacks management personnel. He decided better thankfully.

Are you guys managing to hold it together considering the economy? We are seeing a big slowdown at the moment, but after our "test" Chris Nesetta made some new requirements for ownership that should keep us afloat.

I am not the expert here, but I understand the many agencies that have to sign off on these licenses are concerned about the amount of alcohol for purchase in the area. Even the Wine Steals planned for the Park in the Park is being impacted.

If I read it right, the library got an extension until February. :)

I'm back!

You were gone?

I am curious to hear the news on the library too.

Does anyone know what is going to be built on the site that was just demolished and cleared on Broadway around 9th and 10th ave?

As I recall, a mixed-use tower. A tall one.

As for the library site,... I was by there today and noticed that a mini-lake was createdfrom all the rains. so I got to thinking, how about creating a park with a small pond on the site?

Anybody notice this in downtown?

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...rgershotel.jpg

Are they going to demolish the buildings on the other side of that block facing C Street as well? Last time I was in SD that old SRO was closed down (looks like it may have something preservationists would be in favor of keeping) and the middle eastern restaurant (Al Bustan?) was shut down as well.

Found this pic on KMA's site showing that the building will go from Broadway to C Street. Don't know how accurate this pic is, but I like the size and shape of this tower. It would be a nice addition to the lame-leaning Broadway corridor.
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...Picture1-3.png