Pollard: big announcement coming soon
- Thread starter JP4CY
- Start date
Alcohol is sold at Hilton, Jack Trice, Stephens, Memorial Union, Scheman, Alumni Center already in one way or another.
I'm "haven't read the entire thread" guy here.
Does any other public University have something like this, an "entertainment district" on public University owned land?
I'm all in on this idea, I'm wondering if there are any other universities that have something like this for one to study how it was pulled off on their campus.
Does any other public University have something like this, an "entertainment district" on public University owned land?
I'm all in on this idea, I'm wondering if there are any other universities that have something like this for one to study how it was pulled off on their campus.
I think the biggest hang up on the project will be the feasibility study. Is there demand to support these establishments year round? Are there tenants willing to shell out big time cash for a prime lease? IMO this is a huge gray area and the findings of the study will be interesting.
I would bet a lot of that is already done.
From what I gathered that is literally what the study is for. I'm sure the hotel is all but a done deal but they have a lot of intel to gather regarding the entertainment district and the ideal size.
Pollard's interview on the Murph and Andy Show from yesterday is worth a listen. What I gathered from it is there will be two phases of feasibility studies that will take possibly a year.
Take it with a grain of salt but Travis this morning said that to get to the extent of the graphics, videos, etc that a bunch of the study is probably done. I know he's a blowhard but he's in a position at a company that does some of this type of construction: parking ramps, strip malls, etc.
I'd be shocked if a preliminary study hasn't already but done...even if it's just a bunch of people sitting in a room talking. You don't want to oversell in Jamie's shoes and then have to scale back a bunch and leave people disappointed.
No maid-rite PLEASE. They suck and Zabel probably haunts all of them.
I just watched the flythrough video and am excited. I can't even imagine how awesome this could be.
I have a lot of questions, but am really looking forward to the real deal
Agree....this has the chance to be something that changes Ames' landscape. Like, folks could be saying "we should all meet up Thursday night for drinks and food at the Cy Plaza" with zero athletics events happening...tons of parking, cool atmosphere, etc.
Students want to go where there are lots of people. Cheap isn't as big of a deal as it was back in the day. I suspect this would put a dent in Campustown popularity if the bars were updated and had plenty of space. Students and adult fans can intersect. You see it in every major college town. Campustown looks like a bar scene from one of the Iowa Conference schools, just with way more students.
Yeah, there is literally no where to walk to if you go to a meeting at Scheman, and don't underestimate the folks at Vet Med area, research park, and Ames in general that would use these restaurants daily as they'd have easy access vs S. Duff, etc. And I'm sure businesses there would figure out ways (like other Ames businesses do) to maximize the busy times (rental spaces, price increases, etc) and then run normally other times.
Anyone think it would be cool but out of the question to have a medium sized upscale casino with a sports book? Like something to keep people coming not during football or basketball season. I fear it would be pretty dead area outside of those times.
Otherwise they need to get some impressive tenants - like a T-Rex restaurant, Dave and Busters, Planet Hollywood/Hardrock Cafe, Blue Moon Dueling Pianos (or a House of Blues), Rain Forest Cafe (I like T-Rex more though!), a farm to table restaurant, Fogo De Chao, Kona Grill, Buca di Beppo - some big time stuff not in Iowa yet!
Retailers apart from Cys Locker Room, maybe an Apple Store? How about small HyVee or Fareway, and maybe
Otherwise they need to get some impressive tenants - like a T-Rex restaurant, Dave and Busters, Planet Hollywood/Hardrock Cafe, Blue Moon Dueling Pianos (or a House of Blues), Rain Forest Cafe (I like T-Rex more though!), a farm to table restaurant, Fogo De Chao, Kona Grill, Buca di Beppo - some big time stuff not in Iowa yet!
Retailers apart from Cys Locker Room, maybe an Apple Store? How about small HyVee or Fareway, and maybe
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There's no way this is announced without being 85% a sure thing in that form.
A tenant like UpDown (have one in the east village) would be awesome! Dirt cheap arcade games, drinks, and pizza.
Also Iowa Taproom 2nd location anyone?
Also Iowa Taproom 2nd location anyone?
Agreed. That hotel should be in the works, ASAP. Jamie should be running an excavator today! Something nice like the one adjacent to the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
Full Court Press generally sticks to spaces that they can lease or buy cheap, that's part of the reason they have been so successful. Royal Mile, El Bait/Highlife, and Hessen Haus were all in place before the big Court Ave boom. With that being said an Iowa Tap Room would be a layup.
Wow, some real pie in the sky wishes here. You are never going to get tenants at that level because no matter how cool this place looks, it is still in a market of 60k people where half of them are poor college students who aren't even in town full time. Many of these chains are struggling in major markets and major tourist locations.
Planet Hollywood has dropped from 87 locations to 6. Rainforest has gone from 32 to 17. TRex only ever had 2 locations. The KC location closed, leaving only the one at Disney World.
https://moneywise.com/a/remember-these-chain-restaurants
Buca had a WDM location that folded. These major destination restaurants are just really hard to support. They are failing left and right at much more impressive destinations.
I see this place as having a much more local and ISU flair. Bars, restaurants, apparel, etc. Places like Cy's Locker Room, Wallaby's, Barn Town, Up Down, maybe a local BBQ joint, the HyVee small footprint concept.
