Hampton Inn, South of Court

[DMRyan]

This project received approval at this morning's special City Council meeting.

[hawk61401]

This project received approval at this morning's special City Council meeting.

This project has shown that Des Moines can still be a cow town. Particularly in an area like the riverwalk, there should have been zoning and standards in place. A developer would know upfront what is required and expected instead of dragging this on for weeks.

[DMRyan]

Don't believe everything you read in the papers. There are multiple layers of design standards already in place on this land, just not standards that require the entire block to be built out like this proposal will do.

Working with developers on a daily basis, I can tell you they often voice concern about how stringent the existing standards already are.

[dogbo]

This project received approval at this morning's special City Council meeting.

Thin is in!!

Can't wait to see this block transformed from the eyesore it currently is. This should be a nice boost of foot traffic for the Court District once these hotels are up and running.

[DMRyan]

Construction fencing is going up for this project today. Demo of the existing buildings likely within the month of April...

[dogbo]

Cool. A couple of those buildings look like you could just push them over and they'd crumble into a pile of bricks without too much effort.

Can't wait to watch the project progress forward!

[casbern]

Cool. A couple of those buildings look like you could just push them over and they'd crumble into a pile of bricks without too much effort.

Can't wait to watch the project progress forward!

Either can I. Hopefully this will spur some more development around the area. It's been fairly dead with new projects around downtown.

[JperryIA]

I was very frightened for a moment (we do need a real Downtown grocery store though)


Wal-Mart to build new superstore on Downtown Des Moines Riverfront
http://www.dmcityview.com/2012/03/29/co ... rview.html

[Mastermind]

I was very frightened for a moment (we do need a real Downtown grocery store though)


Wal-Mart to build new superstore on Downtown Des Moines Riverfront
http://www.dmcityview.com/2012/03/29/co ... rview.html

I like the tattoo part! That would not surprise me. Infact, i think they would do very well in a Walmart

[hawk61401]

I was very frightened for a moment (we do need a real Downtown grocery store though)


Wal-Mart to build new superstore on Downtown Des Moines Riverfront
http://www.dmcityview.com/2012/03/29/co ... rview.html

I like the tattoo part! That would not surprise me. Infact, i think they would do very well in a Walmart

I have been noticing more and more that no one in Des Moines gets a small, simple, tattoo anymore. It's a leg, two legs, a whole back, an arm, etc .... http://bit.ly/Ho4FQ1

Heck yes, the Walmart Tattoo Department would probably do better than the Optical Department.

[MusicMan]

demo has started on this site....

[Keepgrowingdsm]

Will this be a full service hotel with a sit down restaurant? Ive never stayed in a Hampton Inn and don't know how they are set up.

[BenRoethig]

Will this be a full service hotel with a sit down restaurant? Ive never stayed in a Hampton Inn and don't know how they are set up.

No, its a limited service chain like Holiday Express or Farfield inn.

[DMRyan]

They sure are cooking on the demo of this site. Both old buildings are nearly all of the way down now. My I-Cubs game free or dirt cheap parking lot within close walking distance to the stadium is forever gone!

[iowacountyite]

So is the Hampton Inn going to be six stories or five? I realize the extended stay is a ways out but also how tall will it be? JW.....

[DMRyan]

The Hampton Inn is 6 stories and the extended stay (which should be a Residence Inn) will be 7 stories. Both max out the height limitation of the riverfront district at or near 75 ft. tall.

Keep the fingers crossed, but that extended stay hotel may happen sooner than we may think.

[casbern]

Keep the fingers crossed, but that extended stay hotel may happen sooner than we may think.

Any chance we can get them to change it from an extended stay to something a little more... swanky? Like Aloft or Element?

[Mastermind]

Keep the fingers crossed, but that extended stay hotel may happen sooner than we may think.

Any chance we can get them to change it from an extended stay to something a little more... swanky? Like Aloft or Element?

I am surprised there will be 2 different brands (Hilton/Marriott) Homewood Suites is the Hilton extended stay brand. They also have a new brand called Home 2.

http://home2suites1.hilton.com/en_US/ht ... T/index.do
http://home2suites1.hilton.com/en_US/ht ... 468596882&

[casbern]

If it could look like their Baltimore option.. I'd be down.

[DMRyan]

Homewood Suites is one of the hotels proposed in the Riverpoint West/Gray's Landing development, next to a Holiday Inn Express.

[dogbo]

Surprised to see little or no progress on this project. Seems nothing has occurred on site other than the destruction of former buildings....which went down many weeks ago.

[DMRyan]

Here's some updated versions of how the hotel is coming along. There have been some cost revisions, which has delayed the project. The Hampton is nearly the same, although there's been a materials pallet switch. The Residence Inn has lost two stories, but is actually larger than the first rendition because it's a longer building that fills the block. Instead of three seperate buildings on this site, they are all sharing walls now, which should help give a little cost savings.

All and all, I think the redesign of the Hampton Inn is less prototypical than before and the materials and colors look much more midwestern. The Residence Inn fits in the architecture of this neighborhood well and shouldn't really detract from the riverfront or the surrounding area. The only thing that still needs work is the look of the parking garage, which will be very well seen along 2nd Avenue, yet is the least attractive side of the project. That is probably my least favorite part of this, which will not add anything to the street view or street activity on 2nd Avenue, but the position of the buildings is a response to residents of the Brown Camp Lofts and Water Street buildings that don't want to look at the garage either. Otherwise, I'll be eager for construction to get started in earnest.

[Ingersoll1978]

I'm assuming the second hotel will be a Residence Inn?

[BenRoethig]

Honestly, I'd flip the Residence in and the ramp. To me it makes the most sense for the parking structure slightly hidden from normal view, shielding some of the noise from the tracks, and the parking entrance on 2nd.

[dogbo]

Me too...but not going to get that past residents of Whiteline Lofts I assume....not there their signoff is required.

[DMRyan]

That's how this project got started, with the Residence Inn along 2nd Avenue and the parking garage on the north. Concerns from the neighbors about the view of the parking garage and vehicles on or in the garage caused the developer to concede to this building change around.

[BenRoethig]

They don't seem to mind looking at their own ramp which is far from something special.

[iowacountyite]

Density is density; i'm excited for this project!

[QuadCityImages]

Aside from any relationship to the surrounding area (which I'm not familiar enough to follow) I really like the design of this 2 hotel, shared courtyard setup. I feel like it'll be a great place to stay in DSM.

[SFO2DSM]

A putting green and a sport court?! That's interesting!

Here's some updated versions of how the hotel is coming along. There have been some cost revisions, which has delayed the project. The Hampton is nearly the same, although there's been a materials pallet switch. The Residence Inn has lost two stories, but is actually larger than the first rendition because it's a longer building that fills the block. Instead of three seperate buildings on this site, they are all sharing walls now, which should help give a little cost savings.

All and all, I think the redesign of the Hampton Inn is less prototypical than before and the materials and colors look much more midwestern. The Residence Inn fits in the architecture of this neighborhood well and shouldn't really detract from the riverfront or the surrounding area. The only thing that still needs work is the look of the parking garage, which will be very well seen along 2nd Avenue, yet is the least attractive side of the project. That is probably my least favorite part of this, which will not add anything to the street view or street activity on 2nd Avenue, but the position of the buildings is a response to residents of the Brown Camp Lofts and Water Street buildings that don't want to look at the garage either. Otherwise, I'll be eager for construction to get started in earnest.