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| Site of proposed hotel-conference center, now occupied by The PLOT |
City leaders believe that that the conference center deal and Waterside Live deal would help each other tremendously and expect both deals to be in place by the spring.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Downtown Conference Center Gains Traction
Planning for the long-awaited downtown hotel and conference center has picked up over the past month, and interestingly it would be in tandem with Waterside Live negotiations. According the The Pilot, Developer Bruce Thompson, the CEO of Gold Key PHR Hotels and Resorts in Virginia Beach, has a proposal in place that would bring a high-end hotel and restaurant, a 600-space parking deck, and the midsized conference space to the lot at Main and Granby Streets.
The project would be a public-private partnership between Thompson and the city of Norfolk. A source familiar with the deal said, the city could spend up to $52 million on building the conference center and $19 million on the parking deck, while Thompson would spend more then $60 million for the hotel. Much of the city's money has already been saved for this investment through the city's public amenities fund, which should help spare the cost to taxpayers.
City leaders believe that that the conference center deal and Waterside Live deal would help each other tremendously and expect both deals to be in place by the spring.
City leaders believe that that the conference center deal and Waterside Live deal would help each other tremendously and expect both deals to be in place by the spring.
Gotta admit I'd hate to see The Plot go, but I'm in favor of another downtown hotel (indifferent on the conference center).
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. The Plot was a great idea but even the planners of it, knew it was temporary. I'll take a hotel (with jobs) in that space any day. Maybe they can move the Plot to the old Granby Tower lot, or over in the arts district which has gained a ton of attention.
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