What is the deal with the Ace Hotel in East Liberty (Pittsburgh: real estate, 2015)

[CFP]

Someone on this forum claimed a few months ago that Ace
had all their financing in place to convert the YMCA building into a hotel,
but I have not witnessed any activity at the site since then.

In the meantime the owners had the contractor remove all the windows and cover
the openings with plastic, which might be okay for the summer but will be a disaster
for the building if we have another bad winter.

Anyone know what's going on there?

[Pitt Chick]

This is from a few months ago...

Ace Hotel underway in East Liberty » NEXTpittsburgh

[friendsheep]

Some talk near the end of this great article about the East Liberty Ace.

Behind Ace Hotel Founder Alex Calderwood's Creative Life And Untimely Death | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

Also, this Post Gazette article from not even 2 weeks ago mentions a Spring 2015 opening. Still lacking in details, but it's another confirmation of sorts.

Google attracts more than job applicants. It’*s luring business to Pittsburgh. It is one of the reasons the trendy Ace Hotel is coming to the city, says Matt Ciccone, head of the boutique real estate firm Edile, which is co-developer of the project.

There are several other factors about Pittsburgh that appeal to the Ace Hotel people, he said of the 63-room hotel opening in spring 2015. “But Google was certainly an initial factor. Ace Hotel already had a good relationship with Google in New York and the Pittsburgh office was on their radar.”

The hotel in the former East Liberty YMCA on Whitfield Street will solidify changes to East End neighborhoods, especially when it comes to retail and restaurants.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/foo...s/201407270028

[friendsheep]

Here's one more quick confirmation from an article published a week ago.

Could Ace Hotel be Nashville bound? | Nashville Post

So I reached out to Ryan Bukstein, the director of public relations and marketing for Ace Hotel’s in-house PR firm Atelier Ace. He emailed me the following:

“We are not confirming any plans for future hotels other than Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, which is planned to open in Mid 2015.”

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by friendsheep

Here's one more quick confirmation from an article published a week ago.

Could Ace Hotel be Nashville bound? | Nashville Post

lol @ that article. Cliffnotes: Author - "I thought an Ace would be nice here, so I emailed them and they said no".

[selltheburgh]

I walked through last week. I know the developers who brought then to Pgh, some investors, and the local architect. It is a gutted shell with one room laid out for their designers to come in and tweak finishes.

They are putting all historic windows back in. There will be a restaurant, a large social hall, a banquet hall and a coffee shop on the first 2 floors and rooms on 3rd and 4th. Basement has a pool but it isn't in the initial plans to restore it. Just to close it off for phase 2 - which also might be rooftop access for guests.

An elevator will be added.

Financing took longer than anticipated, which put everything else off track, but the loan closed. It is in the hands of masarro and ace's Portland based design team. From what I gather, one of the mechanical subs is too busy and can't get started so they are shopping around for that to get rolling.

[selltheburgh]

Also I'll add that the fact that is taking forever is a good thing. They aren't rushing to finish which would have resulted in cutting corners.

[CFP]

Originally Posted by selltheburgh

They are putting all historic windows back in.

When exactly are they scheduled to do that?

Let's revisit this topic in January when the snow and freezing rain are blowing through
the sheets of plastic stapled to the window frames.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by CFP

When exactly are they scheduled to do that?

Let's revisit this topic in January when the snow and freezing rain are blowing through
the sheets of plastic stapled to the window frames.

I get healthy skepticsm, but where exactly does your personal agenda originate that is specifically doubtful of literally every new development in or near East Liberty? Are you upset because you bet against it? Missed the boat? Concerned you or others will be priced out due to gentrification? Otherwise, the very specific extreme effort to be negative about only a single issue is baffling.

[phatty5011]

Last night I was watching the show Best Bars in America on Esquire and they were doing an episode on hotel bars. They visited the ACE Hotel in NY and Portland. The bars and restaurants look awesome and that is what their franchise prides itself on. Found that to be really exciting to know that they will offer something more than just a hotel in the East End.