Talks of constructing downtown Frederick hotel and conference center resume

[RFBfromDE]

"The hotel and conference center would be located at the former site of The Frederick News-Post on East Patrick Street, and city officials have asked the county to contribute $2.5 million for acquisition, which would be nearly 70 percent of the estimated $3.7 million to purchase the property."

Talks of constructing downtown Frederick hotel and conference center resume

After a pandemic-induced pause, Frederick County and city officials met Tuesday to resume discussion about plans to build a hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick.

www.fredericknewspost.com

This is alleged to be a $70million project with commitments already in place from investors/Marriott.

Is the problem that the distressed property isn't worth the $3.7 asking price?

The City should concentrate and fast tracking permits like it's supposed to do.

Not line the pockets of property owners with public monies.

What did I miss?

 

[AssMan]

It's a Democrat town run by Democrats. Making sure pockets get lined is what they're supposed to do.

 

[River02]

"The hotel and conference center would be located at the former site of The Frederick News-Post on East Patrick Street, and city officials have asked the county to contribute $2.5 million for acquisition, which would be nearly 70 percent of the estimated $3.7 million to purchase the property."

Talks of constructing downtown Frederick hotel and conference center resume

After a pandemic-induced pause, Frederick County and city officials met Tuesday to resume discussion about plans to build a hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick.

www.fredericknewspost.com

This is alleged to be a $70million project with commitments already in place from investors/Marriott.

Is the problem that the distressed property isn't worth the $3.7 asking price?

The City should concentrate and fast tracking permits like it's supposed to do.

Not line the pockets of property owners with public monies.

What did I miss?

Nothing--- you missed nothing. The problem from the beginning is using public money for a project that has serious questionability on its chances for becoming a successful, profit bearing business.

 

[budman93]

I really dont see people wanting to stay in a fancy hotel in frederick.

 

[outrider58]

Nothing to see here. Just another boondoggle...

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

Not just Frederick...but cities everywhere are trying to revitalize their downtown areas. Within a couple of blocks of the proposed site is a high crime area...specialty shops...and most of the downtown buildings are so old and decrepit as to be firetraps. The Hysterical Society...I mean Historical Society...has such a firm hold on much of downtown that building owners cannot update the properties to modern standards at any sort of reasonable costs. Since it's mostly row buildings if one catches fire for any reason an entire block can go up. The only reason why the downtown is full is due to cheap rents since the buildings aren't being updated.

My wife...when she had her own law office...was located on East Patrick Street a couple of doors down from the old News-Post building. I did a lot of work making it safe and workable for her...replacing the floor in one room, new lighting fixtures and paint...and it was still a rattletrap of a building. She liked it because it was in downtown and cheap rent. Eventually one interior wall started degrading due to roof leaks and she moved her office elsewhere after about a year.

While Frederick may be a destination place for some...lots of restaurants and specialty shops...a hotel is not what people go there for. It's a pipe dream based upon public dollars. Let the private sector build it if they want...and let it succeed or fail on its own merits.

 

[Michigander08]

I really dont see people wanting to stay in a fancy hotel in frederick.

Top 10 list why people want to stay in a fancy hotel in Frederick.

10.

 

[RFBfromDE]

I really dont see people wanting to stay in a fancy hotel in frederick.

When we go to the Weinberg it would be nice to stay in town.

Nothing too fancy, just like the Marriott we stay in well out of town.

As opposed to say, no hotel at all downtown.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Let the private sector build it if they want...and let it succeed or fail on its own merits.

The article says they have $70million in private investment.

The public funds appear to be earmarked for the acquisition of a distressed property only.

Who owns that property if not the former tenant? That could tell us something...

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

I don't know who the actual property owner is but I do know who was one of the interested parties in building the hotel...may not be him anymore though. There's been several investment groups wanting to build there.

I wonder if it's the News-Post that still owns the property...but the family that owned the newspaper at the time sold it several years ago after they moved to the location off Ballenger Creek Drive. The family could still own the old property...without checking land records there's no way of telling.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Seems like the kind of thing a "reporter" would do.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Who owns that property if not the former tenant? That could tell us something...

As expected....

Will Randall, whose family owns the property where the hotel and conference center would be built, said his family appreciates that the governor took time to come and learn about the project.
“I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been about this project,” said Randall, whose family is the former owner of The Frederick News-Post.

Wes gave the whole thing a stern look....

Officials see positive future for hotel project as Moore visits downtown site

Gov. Wes Moore visited the site of a proposed hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick on Tuesday, in what local leaders see as a positive suggestion that the governor

www.fredericknewspost.com

 

[frank_e_h]

There aren't a ton of great venues in Frederick. A conference center brings the possibility for concerts, shows, larger banquets, sports tournaments, and conventions that places like the Clarion aren't big enough to handle. A hotel attached to a convention/conference center just makes sense. Just depends on the size of the proposed project. If it's not bigger than the Clarion then theres no point in my opinion.

But when you bring in a bunch of people for a convention they bring in a ton of $$$ for the local economy. It makes sense why people want it to happen, I just think the government should stay out of it!

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

But when you bring in a bunch of people for a convention they bring in a ton of $$$ for the local economy. It makes sense why people want it to happen, I just think the government should stay out of it!

That's the key part...the government should stay out of it. Outside of building approvals the government's role should end. Let those who wish to get a return on their investment put their money where their mouth is.

 

[scottyfz6]

I put an electrical bid in on this years ago when the project just started. I even did a job site walk thru. Still have the plans somewhere, it was a fun creepy walk thru and an awesome building. The GC was Bognet, and the last thing I have is an email saying they broke ground on it.

 

[DanGuy48]

I think Frederick already has a healthy downtown, at least compared to some other places. We don’t get into town very often but I am almost always surprised by the number of folks out and about. For us, that’s usually around dinner time.

 

[trailman]

I've been here 30 years, Frederick doesn't need a hotel down down. And, if Plamondon is capitalizing $70 million for the project why do they need 3.7M of public money. O'connel is a communist and so is Jessica, they are transforming the place as fast as possible to be MoCO on that there are over a dozen large apartment complexes going in. Apartment dwellers are generally not vested in their communities'. Furthermore you probably haven't seen the brickworks project that's been approved, essentially the East Street extension to to Costco Interchange, 65 Acres the developer, Greenberg Gibbons, has proposed up to 1,260 residential units and up to 130,000 square feet of retail space on the city’s eastern side. Traffic downtown is a clusterfuck already.

Design, walkability among priorities as Brickworks project plans are shared

Design, walkability and affordable housing are among the factors that downtown Frederick residents will keep their eyes on as plans for a large new development along East Street move through

www.fredericknewspost.com

Frederick Planning Commission Approves Brickworks Master Plan

The vote was 3-2. Frederick, Md (KM) It's a major step for the proposed Brickworks project. In a three-to-two vote on Tuesday night, the Frederick Planning Commission approved the master plan for the project which will be located on 64.61 acres of land along East Street, South Street and Monoc

www.wfmd.com

 

[scottyfz6]

they are transforming the place as fast as possible to be MoCO on that there are over a dozen large apartment complexes going in. Apartment dwellers are generally not vested in their communities'. Furthermore you probably haven't seen the brickworks project that's been approved, essentially the East Street extension to to Costco Interchange, 65 Acres the developer, Greenberg Gibbons, has proposed up to 1,260 residential units and up to 130,000 square feet of retail space on the city’s eastern side. Traffic downtown is a clusterfuck already.

I was sent a bid invite for a 150 or unit apt building in the same area a few years ago. I cant remember the name of the project thou.

I get a lot of apt building invites, and I am currently under contract for about 600 apt units between dc and baltimore. So I see it.

 

[DanGuy48]

That’s just one more reason we’re leaving, too much building EVERYWHERE in Frederick. It’s not so much that we have our life style disturbed, it’s just the clearing and building is happening everywhere, farms being squeezed out. I just don’t like it. Gas House Pike is turning into a warehouse district. It’s just ugly. Like trailman, we’ve been here 30 years also.

 

[RFBfromDE]

I think Frederick already has a healthy downtown, at least compared to some other places. We don’t get into town very often but I am almost always surprised by the number of folks out and about. For us, that’s usually around dinner time.

We went to the Weinberg 12/23/2023. Downtown was packed at 8pm.

Nice!

But when the show was over, had to drive out to the Marriott.