I realize there is a thread in another forum, but given the sizable investment planned, I feel this qualifies as a downtown construction project. Moderators - feel free to merge as you see fit.



This is great news. Let us all hope and pray they do something with the exterior of this Frankenstein of a building!!! Seriously, this could be the ugliest building in such a prominent location in any major city's downtown. $63 million certainly won't by a reskin, but maybe, hopefully, some new, clearer windows and a redesign/reconstruction of the roof and porte cochere of the building are in order. Along those lines, anyone have any ideas?

Downtown to lose its Adam’s Mark; Hyatt to take its place

By Doug Wong

February 8, 2008 @ 10:25 am

In Business Ticker

The Adam’s Mark mark is coming down from the downtown St. Louis hotel.



Chartres Lodging Group LLC of San Francisco, formerly Oxford Lodging Advisory & Investment Group, this morning completed the purchase of the 910-room Adam’s Mark Hotel and said it will spend $63 million to renovate and rebrand the property into the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront within the next 18 months. Hyatt will assume management of the property now as an Adam’s Mark until the rebranding is completed this spring.



The sale is part of a larger transaction in which Chartres acquired the Adam’s Mark portfolio from Creve Coeur-based HBE Corp. In addition to the downtown St. Louis property, Chartres bought hotels in Indianapolis, Dallas, Denver and Buffalo, N.Y.

Source

My understanding is that the current Adam's Mark is a reskin of one or two historic buildings.



Perhaps they could DE-skin the building? But that would be wishful thinking.

That is correct. It was one building.



And yeah, you would probably have to at least double that $63 million number. At least, you would to renovate the interior and reskin the building, plus it would be extremely problematic to try and reskin the building and remain open in some capacity. I suppose they could shut down one half of the hotel, reskin it, and then move to the other side, but that would be quite an undertaking for a miminal ROI, unless they could somehow add more revenue-generating space in the process.

jlblues wrote:That is correct. It was one building.

The western (Fourth Street) section, right?

^If you were to look at the historic building from the top of the Arch it would have resembled an m prior to the renovation. The renovation completely gutted the building down to the steel and (not sure about this) removed the middle 'leg' of the m (where the pool is now)?



Built St. Louis has a blurb about it, and a few not-so-good quality pics from the East in which you can see the 'legs'.

The Pierce Building is actually an E-shaped structure on its east face, rather than the apparent flat slab seen on old postcard views of the west side. By the 1970s, its ornate cornice was long gone. In another decade or so, what remained of its historical integrity would be obliterated as well.

As you can see, the reskin was another one of the many, many architectural atrocities committed to our architectural heritage in the 70s and 80s.

^

Good pics and good ideas.



What are those things floating in the river in those pics? They almost look like boats. Interesting.

I'll see if I can find the renderings, but originally, the Adam's Mark was supposed to have basically a blank wall facing the Arch. Fred Kummer was renowned for architectural monstrocity (see also the HBE headquarters). At the time, AIA all but burned him in effigy and the plans were changed -- not to a really nice building, but at least to one that wasn't a total embarassment.



edited to add some archival info

P-D, 1983 wrote:HBE made some changes after a series of meetings with the commission's design review committee and members of a special panel appointed by Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr.



Those changes include:

-- Using brick instead of a flat, stucco-like material called Dryvit on the exterior.



-- Adding windows, awnings, balconies and, at the base of the building, large display windows.



-- Changing the design at the top of the hotel.



-- Using more polished granite on the exterior.



Those changes, plus improvements HBE wants to make on the inside of the building, will increase the cost to $90 million from $80 millon, the firm estimates.



But those changes are not nearly enough to make the hotel 'world class 'or even a 'reasonably good building, 'said spokesmen for the executive board of the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The AIA had criticized HBE's original design.



Gregory S. Palermo, president-elect of the St. Louis chapter, urged the commissioners to reject the design. HBE needs the commission's approval to proceed, although it could appeal a rejection in St. Louis Circuit Court.



The AIA chapter's executive board said in a statement, 'The modest changes by HBE thus far indicate a willingness to work towards a better scheme. 'But the statement continued: 'Overall, the hotel proposal has only been superficially changed, and therefore we feel compelled to stand by our March 23 recommendation to this commission to reject the scheme outright and to ask the developer for substantial redesign. '



The architectural group said the design did not 'take into account vehicular and pedestrian traffic impacts on neighboring streets, views out from the site to the Arch and courthouse, building massing in context of its neighbors, and views of the building, particularly from the Arch grounds, the Ely Smith (park) grounds and the courthouse area. '

Just to clarify: The Pierce Building only occupied the western half of the block; the two major wings, including the lobby and pool area, are entirely new additions.

This is a big investment in an important location. Major news. I worked in the Pierce Building before and during the remuddle. Of course, the Pierce Building was the result of an earlier remuddle. We actually had a crane break a window, which was a big surprise for us office workers. The Pierce Building was crap. Except for the views of the river, which the Adams Mark virtually eliminated. Hopefully this new version will repair some of the previous blunders.

I wish something could be done with the building's exterior, especially by altering its eastern facade to take advantage of Gateway Arch and Mississippi River views. But I guess it'll still be significant progress if the developer just brings the interior out of 1985 and into 2008.



In a span with several significant closings and job losses in St. Louis, it is encouraging to see major investment in a property with much untapped potential IMHO.

bonwich wrote:At the time, AIA all but burned him in effigy and the plans were changed -- not to a really nice building, but at least to one that wasn't a total embarassment.

I beg to differ.

FROM DOWNTOWN STL ORG.



Adam's Mark Hotel Has New Name & Brand



Starting April 2008, the 910 room Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis will be known as the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. The Chartres Lodging Group LLC of San Francisco completed their purchase of the hotel in February with plans to invest $63 million to reposition, rebrand and a building wide renovation. Specific renovation details for this property will be announced in the coming months.



Chartres Lodging plans to spend more than $238 million to do the same to four other Adam's Mark properties over the next 18 months. Those include Adam's Mark Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis and Buffalo-Niagara.

The Hyatt sign is going up on Chestnut street today.

saw the Hyatt signs atop the new Hyatt Riverfront from the stadium last Friday Night... nice.



article:



April 09, 2008 03:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time



Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront Transforms

with a $63 Million Renovation

Former Adam’s Mark Hotel Now Flying Hyatt Flag; Renovation to Start in Fall 2008



ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Now proudly flying the Hyatt flag to signify its new management, the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront today announced that will undertake a $63 million renovation of its guestrooms, suites, public areas and restaurants. The renovation of the 910-room hotel, located at the base of the famed Gateway Arch, will commence in the fall of 2008.



“We are thrilled to have a world-class hotel chain like Hyatt anchoring this exciting area of St. Louis,” said Kathleen Ratcliffe, president, St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This premier downtown location, within walking distance of major attractions, coupled with the Hyatt name, will position our organization to promote the city more effectively to both business and leisure travelers.”



Design work for the $63 million renovation has already begun. The hotel will be transformed from floor to ceiling, with each guestroom, bathroom and corridor undergoing a complete redesign. Key elements of the redesign include a warm color palette, rich wood, leather furnishings and detailed, contemporary accessories. Each guestroom will be appointed with modern amenities including: Hyatt’s signature Grand Bed™; a new iHome™ clock radio featuring an iPod® docking station, seven time zone settings and automatic alarm reset; an oversized desk; and Guestek high speed internet access.



One of the highlights of the hotel’s multi-million-dollar transformation will be the new StayFit@Hyatt health club. The 24-hour health club will cater to health-conscious business and leisure travelers and feature the latest high-tech cardio and strength-training equipment from industry leader Life Fitness®. The hotel will also upgrade its meeting space, lobby, three dining outlets and building exteriors to complement the new guestroom décor.



“This extensive renovation we are embarking on truly signifies Hyatt’s commitment to the city,” said Steve Wilson, general manager, Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. “St. Louis is a very exciting market for Hyatt and we are thrilled to expand our presence here offering the quality of service our guests have come to expect.”



The renovation is expected to be complete by mid 2009.



About Global Hyatt Corporation



Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, offers today’s travelers more than 730 hotels and resorts (more than 136,000 rooms) in 44 countries. The company’s affiliates own, operate, manage and franchise Hyatt-branded hotels and resorts under Park Hyatt™, Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Hyatt Resorts™, Hyatt®, Hyatt Place® and Hyatt Summerfield Suites® brands. In April 2007, Hyatt launched its newest global brand, Andaz™. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc. operator of Hyatt Vacation Club and fractional residential properties and U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc, which franchises Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inns and Suites. From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234, or logging on to www.hyatt.com.

Anything being done to the exterior?

Odd that they show pics of the Boulevard in Richmond Heights and not pics of DT on the hotel website. (dining and entertainment and guest services)

TheWayoftheArch wrote:

Magnatron wrote:Anything being done to the exterior?

Can't polish a turd.

Well said

TheWayoftheArch wrote:

Magnatron wrote:Anything being done to the exterior?

Can't polish a turd.

No, but you can put sprinkles and sparkles on it.

jlblues wrote:

TheWayoftheArch wrote:

Magnatron wrote:Anything being done to the exterior?

Can't polish a turd.

No, but you can put sprinkles and sparkles on it.

You can also apparently put an LED-backlit, combed-over brown streak on a turd, and people will love it.

while much of the project is guest room renovations and updating the interior decor (SORELY needed), there is also to be some (as yet undecided) degree of renovation and reconfiguration of the first floor. the current plan is awful, with offices and back of house functions in some of the most prime retail locations. there will be significant retail open to the street in the new plan and those magnificent arch views will be maximized, though what form all that will take is still undecided. unfortunately, however, little can be done about the maze-like plan of the upper floors, nor will the building be reskinned.

that said, the signs have all been switched out now, and even in these early stages there have been some cosmetic changes in the lobby...new planters and greenery are the most noticible change.