$39 mil in public financing to bring Marriott Hotel downtown on the Peoria.com Forums - Page 3

Heck, I remember even before they built the fancy Embassy Suites, when vendors would come in to the previous company I worked for in Peoria, my boss would refer them to the Stoney Creek Inn in East Peoria.

Letting them stay in E.P. would not bother me as much because I believe that no matter where they stay they will spend money in Peoria which will in turn benefit our economy. However, the tax on the rooms would be nice. I do believe that a major contributor towards our poor grade of resident is the crime level and problems in our school system. Those issues should be addressed immediately. I don’t think that these issues or poop removal from the river should hinder progress on other things. Why would it anyway? I see no reason to limit us on what or when we should fix or improve on a problem within our community.

And to satisfy your dirty mind Crodseth … I think the “erection” of a new hotel in Peoria would only benefit our community.

Nice...you made my day!!!

Your way too funny Crodseth.. I'm really going to have to start reading your blog.

Roads and sewers can be easily fixed; that just takes money. How, pray-tell do you plan on fixing the schools and crime?

Even if you did have a plan, I imagine that might take a lot of money over a long period of time. Money garnered from hotel and convention business.

Two problems:

1. building is ugly. If MY money is going into it, I say I should have a say on what it looks like. I'll certainly ask my representative on the council to make a stance AGAINST ugly publicly financed buildings.

2. More than one-third of the financing comes from public sources. I think that's too much for what is essentially a PRIVATE project that is designed to put money in the hands of investors. If one is going to accept that as a matter of policy that the government should be allowed to invest in private property, then they have to accept that the ;public has a role is deciding what that percentage should be financed by taxpayers.

I agree that it's ugly.

Yeah, but so are most of the people that plan to occupy it.

But I agree.. make it fit.

OK, if it's a Marriott, then Mariott should fund it.
2, Conventioneers look for two things: A Good venue and a place to hold conventions that has something for people to do while they're in town.
Buffalo has been a big player in the convention market for some years and what they went through and looked into and researched to become was unreal. It's what began the marketing of Buffalo as the Niagara Region. It's what has spurred waterfront development. It's what prompted downtown development, and why they built a, at the time, modern convention center, which even now, 25 yrs later, they are looking to replace with a more modern venue.
3. People stay across the river, not because of the better hotel, but the proximity of shopping, eating and gambling.
4, if they want to have a destination, they need to prove to the tax payers, should this be publicly funded, that there will be a market for it.
5, again, one of my beefs with this town is minimal effort put into preservation. This IS a historic town, but I see little that points that out, and it's small town. Building a structure that looks like it's out of Los Angeles in a a small town is going to clach with existing structures, so that design is stupid.
6. Although I've never been in there, I was under the assumption that the Marqutte was a pretty fine place.

Does anyone think the GEM building in East Peoria is attractive? 

If I was a tourist or here on a business trip, I would stay in East Peoria because they have hotels right on the river. I just love the view of the river more than downtown streets. I would also like the Paradice Hotel because they have the boat there and a variety of places to eat.

I agree that the Gem building is ugly but I do NOT agree that the new proposed hotel looks anything like the gem building. Oh wait, it has some glass on it.

The other thing you must consider is that these buildings have to be functional and make money. That may restrict the architecture and how fancy one can get with exterior adornments.

Christi, we agree on something, you should DEFINITELY read my blog. PI, you can buy a whole lot of cops for 39 mil.

It's illegal to buy cops Crod

.....and Senate seats too, apparently.