The much-ballyhooed “wonderful development” we’ve been hearing about — a new/expanded Pere Marquette hotel — has been revealed to the public, complete with pictures, in today’s paper:
Here are the specs:
- 14-stories
- $102 million project
- Developed by EM Properties
- $39.3 million of public financing “that would be financed through bonds and repaid through new revenues the project would generate” over 23 years; represents approx. 40% of total project cost
- Full-service hotel
- 489 rooms
- Additional meeting, convention and banquet space
- Under Marriott Hotel flag
- 500-vehicle parking deck
- Sky-bridge connects hotel to Civic Center
This project is, of course, a done deal. It’s been hammered out in the back room for weeks if not months and more than enough council members are on board now. So it’s sure to pass at the Dec. 15 meeting.
My thoughts: It’s predominantly glass and steel, which has all the charm and appeal of GEM Terrace and One Technology Plaza. The front of it is concave for no apparent reason. But the rest of it does front the street, which is good. And the parking garage includes street-level retail, which is great. On the other hand, there is a completely unnecessary sky-bridge which will mar Fulton Street for generations. This design is light years ahead of the proposed riverfront museum (thank goodness for that!), but I still think it could have been better, especially in building materials.
I agree, Summers! ” But, in a perfect world…. “
The bridge is unnecessary. Get your feet on the street. Life is happening all around you!!
The best thing about this whole project is the skybridge.
I love Marriotts! I am happy that it is the chain that is moving in. Hopefully it will attract a lot of convention business to Peoria.
This is a great addition for downtown. The Marriott chain has one of the best reservation systems for hotels. Now we have to get the Sears block developed with the Caterpillar technology exhibit and hopefully the Museum(?) to draw more people here. I still think there needs to be a Hotel down there too, not across the river.
Yes this will be a great project. At first I wasn’t sure if I would like the new building to be modern but looking at it now it is a nice balance between a traditional design(the PERE’) and a contemporary design. The skywalk will serve a great purpose and give the hotel and Civic Center a real connection.
The city gets slammed for not be business friendly but I would say they are being business friendly in this case just to keep this project moving along. If all the deals had to be hammered out in the public and on the blogs it would never happen.
Good job city council!
I didn’t know Frank Lloyd Wright was still alive and well and living in the “uplands” of P-town.
I’m curious, is it just the perspective of the sketch or will the new hotel tower be taller than the current Pere? If so, they’d either have to tear down that old school (but still nostalgic and landmark) “Hotel Pere Marquette” red neon sign.
Or there will just be some rooms on and above the 14th floor that’ll have an obstructed riverview and rooms that permanently glow red.
Elias — He obviously isn’t living in East Peoria… or downtown Peoria for that matter….
Talk about a step up. It will serve as a great entrance into downtown from Main Street, however the loss of retail frontage on Main is unfortunate. Now if we could just add a tall concave building to the other three corners (don’t mind the Federal courthouse), we could insert a round-a-bout and a war memorial and call ourselves Indianapolis.
If any of you skybridge naysayers have been to Minneapolis, you would rethink your negative view. It is a fabulous way to get around from building to building and each building has retail shops on the skybridge level. Sure, Minneapolis does have a much longer and harsher winter than we do… Still, it works well.
Let’s review how we live in Peoria. Ask yourself how often do you have a chance meeting with someone you know?
If you have a chance meeting- is it on the street? Lucky for you if it is- for most of us chance meetings usually happen in the grocery store. Today, a friend came to visit me because I am nursing a leg injury. We lamented how rare it is to be walking on city streets unless you are solely walking for exercise.
We talked about how unusual it is for Peorians to walk to take care of their daily needs. Typically, people do not walk to the grocery store, dry cleaners or drug store on foot. If they do, they do it with difficulty and the routes are dangerous. This is why pedestrians in Peoria are unusual.
Our city needs pedestrians to invigorate city life. When the majority of Peorians leave their homes in cars, park their cars in parking decks or parking lots, and work a full day they never need to set foot on city streets. They simply get back in their cars and drive home.
Eventually we drive to stores, walk through parking lots and rarely have an occasion to connect with someone just because. We meet through scheduled coffee meetings, lunch meetings, play dates, dinner dates, church, or civic engagements. Why do we lack opportunities for chance meetings?
Perhaps it is because our city has been built around automobiles and planned accordingly. We see people in their cars and wave; however, stop and think about the people who don’t have a car or have access to one. What is life like for people living in a city developed as if everyone owns a car?
The concept that Peoria needs a sky bridge to connect a new hotel to the civic center is more evidence that the value of street life has not been fully studied. Fulton is not a busy street. You will not find yourself crossing a highway or multiple railroad tracks. Currently, city hall employees enjoy crossing Fulton mid block because there is rarely any traffic.
When I cross Fulton I often see people I know- even during inclement weather. When the weather is cold or rainy we wear coats. I expect our visitors will wear coats as well. If cold weather is a deal breaker then the warmer climates states will prevail- one skywalk will not make conditions more bearable.
Currently, cities with enclosed walkways are tearing them down or making plans to do so. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/realestate/03tunnel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
They know they were based on an idea of the 1970’s that has outlived its welcome. When convention planners say hotels need to connect to Civic Centers do they really mean their convention goers are unwilling to walk 60 feet? I would suggest they will walk longer distances as they take in the exhibitions and attend their meetings.
I applaud the developers as they plan to renovate the Pere Marquette Hotel and a marquis hotel operated by Marriott is a wonderful development. With that said, at this time we can not afford to subsidize a sky bridge. Peoria is strapped for cash and we need to be prudent with our tax revenue and bonding capacity. The project will be better without it and so will city life.
Sincerely submitted,
Beth Akeson
309-682-6447
Sterling: The Pere is 14 stories, and the proposed second tower is also 14 stories, so I’m guessing they’re the same height, and it’s just the perspective that makes the nearer building look taller. But I’m speculating.
I have been to Minneaplis in the winter and sincerely appreciate their skybridges. Indianapolis also has skybridges. A few years ago my wife and I were in Indy and using a skybridge and coming towards us was my sister from Springfield. We had no idea that she would be in Indy and were pleasantly surprised and we had a nice conversation. You just never know who you might meet on a skybridge.
Beth Akeson, how much will the sky bridge cost?
The only way this society will be able to produce pedestrians will be to take driver licenses away for no reason other than to produce pedestrians. Few people today have patience for sidewalks and walking. They want walkalators and slidewalks and maybe a tram to take them to their parked car. It’s a fat society and the only concern is why microwave hamburgers aren’t served on CityLink buses or why you don’t get potato salad along with a Journal Star purchase at one of those street corner boxes.
Beth says: :”When convention planners say hotels need to connect to Civic Centers do they really mean their convention goers are unwilling to walk 60 feet? I would suggest they will walk longer distances as they take in the exhibitions and attend their meetings.”
But you don’t get it, do you? If the convention planners say they need a connected hotel, they probably are only going to look for places that meet their criteria. They may not even know what the convention goers want or don’t want, but they still get to make the decisions. You can wish it weren’t so, but it would seem it is. I guess you can go into the convention planning business….
Let’s get the horses and carriages out to satisfy Beth; get real will you,this is the modern age!
Sud,
It is hard to tell if you are being insulting- so if you are I may be wasting my energy responding to you; however, I would like you to know I do not make comments without first, researching, studying, and having conversations with experts. So with all due respect-please don’t shoot the messenger just because you do not agree with the message.
In 2004 soon after I was appointed as a Heart of Peoria Commissioner I had a conversation with Charlie Johnson of C.H. Johnson Consulting, Six East Monroe, Suite 500 Chicago Illinois. I called him because I had several questions after reading two documents he authored titled Peoria Civic Center Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis and Peoria Civic Center Master Plan Analysis.
Additionally, I spoke several times with Heywood Sanders PhD, a professor in the department of public administration at the University of Texas in San Antonio. Heywood is recognized as an expert and has debunked many of the myths associated with civic center expansions.
When I spoke to Charlie he said a connected hotel was not necessary for the expanded civic center to thrive and he does not mention it in the reports either. So, if we assume C.H. Johnson to be an expert (and his study justified the Civic Center Authority’s decision to expand) then where is the evidence we need to physically connect the new hotel to the civic center?
If you get an opportunity to read these reports you will see that Charles Johnson makes numerous references to the lack of downtown vitality and he observed, as Andres Duany did, that people are not filtering throughout the city. On page 1 of section 4 in the Master Plan Analysis he writes
…..While the venues that comprise the PCC are a clear focal point in downtown Peoria, their potential impact on the civic and economic landscape is not maximized, primarily because many patrons drive to the facilities, park, attend events, and then return home without filtering through downtown. …
I don’t need to become a convention planner, but I will try to talk to a few …and when I do I’ll let you know what they tell me.
Wacko – Modern age is the 21st century not the 1970s
I will be sure to stay away from Peoria if a Marriott goes in.
Marriott is Mormon-dominated, meaning it has right-wing connections, among other things.
I will not stay in any Marriott-branded hotel.
Over all I don’t object to skywalks, the short distance of this one makes it over the top. What about integrating the walkway into the parking deck, stairs/escalator & elevator down to street level, then it is a short walk outside to cross a stree.
I have been to a few trade shows in Grand Rapids & Baltimore. In both cities, the hotels that filled up the quickest were the ones “attached” to the convention centers that held the trade shows. It was very convenient to not have to venture outside in the rain and wind and then have to deal with coats, umbrellas etc once at the destination. It was also nice to know that all I had to do was follow the skywalk and I would not miss the convention center. The skywalk in Grand Rapids was also used to go from the center, past the hotel and thru several other buildings, about 3 blocks worth, to get to a restaurant/bar. The skywalk also allowed you to see a different view of the surrounding area than if you were walking on street level.
Jim, do you think all Muslims are terrorists, or do you reserve your sweeping religious bigotry just for Mormons? (I am neither a Mormon, nor a Muslim, BTW).