Boutique Hotel coming to heart of East Liberty (Ellsworth, Wall: real estate, 2014)

[BrianTH]

I'd hope Ace would see this as more complementary than competitive. Of course they would probably prefer a residential project, but nonetheless a boutique hotel cluster in that area would help create a market for the sorts of amenities that could make them all successful.

[CFP]

Now that everyone has expressed their enthusiasm for this ambitious project, I have one question: have any of you actually spent time in that section of East Liberty? There are no storefronts on Kirkwood; 90% of the storefronts on Broad Street are vacant, and the only business on Highland that generates foot traffic is the William Penn Smoke (and lottery ticket) Shop.

I thought the strategy was to develop from the outside in. This planned boutique hotel is going to be stranded inside the demographically challenged Penn Circle.

God bless the developers for taking the risk, but without a vibrant tourist friendly neighborhood in the immediate vicinity I suspect that their risk will not generate the reward they are anticipating.

Let the cheerleading begin!

[AaronPGH]

^ It is ONE to TWO blocks from the action. Do you think out-of-towners aren't capable of walking that far? Not to mention that a lot of East Liberty will be under development (or new stuff already opened) by the time their first guests arrive.

[Geeo]

Union Pig & Chicken is right across the street, the Shadow Lounge, Abay, Spoon, brgr, and the Kelly Strayhorn are in the next block. Development continues on the Highland building, so I think there's going to be a good critical mass very soon.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Union Pig & Chicken is right across the street, the Shadow Lounge, Abay, Spoon, brgr, and the Kelly Strayhorn are in the next block. Development continues on the Highland building, so I think there's going to be a good critical mass very soon.

Agreed. Just like Market Square did – I feel like the whole neighborhood will seem to "turn on" quickly and instantly once the main things are completed.

[Joe Magarac]

I thought the strategy was to develop from the outside in.

That was the strategy, and it worked. Home Depot, then Whole Foods, then Eastside, then Target were all developments on the outside of East Liberty, around the circle. Paris 66 and Kelly's and Pizza Sola are also new developments on the outside of East Liberty on Penn Circle. Goodyear, Advance Auto, and McDonald's are all existing businesses that remain on the outside on Penn Circle. There isn't much room for "outside" development left.

God bless the developers for taking the risk, but without a vibrant tourist friendly neighborhood in the immediate vicinity I suspect that their risk will not generate the reward they are anticipating.

I don't think this hotel is designed to attract or cater to tourists. I think it is intended for business travelers who want to be relatively close to Oakland. It is a fair question whether business travelers with business in Oakland would want to stay in East Liberty, but obviously the developers think that the answer to that question is yes.

[selltheburgh]

Goodyear's parcel sold to a developer not too long ago.

I imagine that parcel, the farmers market lot an adjacent surface parking and the police detective building as well as the old pizza hut will be developed within the next decade as penn circle north and west are made into 2 way traffic again.

As for the hotel, they plan for 1 or 2 bar/restaurants to be a part of the development.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by selltheburgh

As for the hotel, they plan for 1 or 2 bar/restaurants to be a part of the development.

Indeed. They'll have their own amenities on site, and as others pointed out, they are not exactly a long trek from all the other stuff already in East Liberty. And that's not yet including the Odeon, and whatever else happens in the near future.

Edit: And come to think of it, the S. Highland business district in Shadyside is maybe 5 minutes walk away.

[selltheburgh]

This hotel will be closer to bars, restaurants, the soon-to-be Odeon movie theater, the Strayhorn theater, etc than the Shadyside Courtyard Mariott or the Bakery Square Spring Hill Suites and those hotels stay pretty full.

Also, the fact that a lot of the commercial space nearby is vacant is better than having long term occupied predatory businesses like rent-a-center or check cashing places - which are profitable and not going anywhere anytime soon - because the vacant spaces will feed off of the apartment and hotel development with new businesses.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Edit: And come to think of it, the S. Highland business district in Shadyside is maybe 5 minutes walk away.

I think in 5 or so years it could be pretty standard for most East Enders to consider the whole Penn / S. Highland "X" as one contiguous business district. Especially once the transit center is finished. The Highland development is really going be a huge anchor between the two. The storefronts on S. Highland already feel more connected to East Liberty than they do the Ellsworth of Walnut business districts. Of course, with a few more pedestrian crossings over the busway between Ellsworth and Centre, Ellsworth could join up with it as well.