Ace Hotel Pittsburgh and Why We Can't Have Nice Things (apartments, Home Depot)

[BUILD PENN SQUARE]

it's really starting to look as though the ace hotel in east liberty will never reopen - which sucks

i really liked that place - i got to experience the building years ago when i was working at an architecture firm in east liberty that was hired by a developer from colorado who wanted to make the building luxury apartments (the great housing bubble recession put a quick end to that plan)

such a great building - the amazing lobby where the bar and restaurant are located - the gymnasium, the ballroom on the second floor, the tile swimming pool in the basement - and they did such a great job restoring and renovating it when ace came on board

the hotel industry in general is in horrible shape, which obviously isn't their fault, but then there's the added problem of all these people who put down deposits for weddings and other events and can't seem to get their money back to the point where they've banded together on facebook to figure out a solution to their collective problem

https://www.facebook.com/groups/661973287781098

i hope those poor souls able to have their deposits refunded, but my hopes of having a beer at the bar and the buttermilk fried chicken salad which was to die for are dwindling

more than whole foods, more than target or home depot, it was ace that really put east liberty on the map again nationally

all the cool bartenders - andre, william, samantha, clair... - fred - all the interesting characters just chillin in the lobby or working at the coffee bar - pittsburgh never had anything like it, and i'm starting to think never will again, not for a long time

thanks for a lot of great memories, ace hotel - we hardly knew ya

[gg]

I never been to it, but you sure make me want to go. COVID really does suck. Such a shame. I wish we could get a damn vaccine, but that will be delayed I guess.