Hilton Baltimore
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Baltimore Convention Center Hotel Project: Baltimore City is trying to bring a convention center hotel into fruition. According to a Baltimore Sun article dated April 10, 2003, three bids were submitted to the Baltimore Development Corporation. On November 13, 2003, Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley approved the Hilton proposal. Ground was broken on the 750-room hotel on February 17, 2006. Developers have set by June 30, 2008, as the date of delivery.
[edit] The proposals submitted to the Baltimore Development Corporation
- A 755-room Westin hotel with 600 parking spaces and 54,457 ft² (5,000 m²) of meeting and ballroom space. The proposal was submitted by Garfield Traub Development LLC, a Dallas-based real estate developer that has built convention hotels, and Baltimore-based development firm Otis Warren & Co.
The group also proposed developing the hotel along with a new 19,000 seat arena, offices and the headquarters for Catholic Relief Services, which has asked the city to use the parcel for its new offices.
The proposal would be paid for with tax-exempt bonds that require public ownership of the hotel.
- An 869-room hotel with 592 parking spaces, 55,000 ft² (5,100 m²) of meeting and ballroom space, a 36,000 square foot (3,300 m²) soundstage and recording studio -- as well as a wellness clinic and spa.
The plan was presented by Atlanta-based Portman Holdings LP, one of the nation's largest developers of convention hotels. The team also includes Treyball Development Inc., a company based in Beverly Hills, Calif., that is owned by the actor Will Smith and his brother, Harry. No brand name was included in the proposal.
The project would be paid for with private financing, tax-increment financing -- which dedicates future tax receipts to the development -- or through sale of tax-exempt bonds, depending on the city's preference.
- The Hilton proposal by Johnson's firm, the Bethesda-based RLJ Development LLC, and Quadrangle. The developers also would build the 200,000 square foot (19,000 m²) headquarters for Catholic Relief Services on the grounds. No financing method was identified.
The RLJ proposal also included 1,000 parking spaces and 75,000 ft² (7,000 m²) of meeting and ballroom space. A second phase would add 400 hotel rooms and a 200,000 square foot (19,000 m²) hotel-office-residential building.
[edit] Update: Thursday, October 23, 2003
The Baltimore Sun published a news story on October 22, 2003, at 9:24 p.m. stating that Baltimore is within days of selecting a developer for the convention center hotel. The president of the Baltimore Development Corporation and the board are expected to make a selection out of the three on Thursday, October 23, 2003, and then send it to Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley who is then expected to award an exclusive negotiating agreement with the winning development team to break ground for the convention center hotel but unfortunately, it's uncertain when O'Malley will make that announcement at the current time. There's an external link to the article in the "External Links" section.
[edit] Update: Friday, October 24, 2003
The Baltimore Sun has published another news story on Friday, October 24, 2003, at 4:41 p.m., updated at 8:08 p.m., stating that the Baltimore Development Corporation has picked the 750 room Hilton Hotel RLJ proposal. The hotel will have 1,000 underground parking spaces and will have a 20,000 ft² (2,000 m²) grand ballroom and nearly 62,000 ft² (6,000 m²) of meeting space that can be utilized by the Baltimore Convention Center. The hotel is going to be about 24 stories high and cost approximately $200 million to build and will have shops and restaurants that will be designed to function with Camden Yards during the Baltimore Orioles home game. The hotel will be built on two vacant blocks that are north of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and west of the Baltimore Convention Center where currently a parking lot is located and the hotel will have an all-weather walkway connected to the Baltimore Convention Center. The next step is for the Mayor to approve the project, then it will take about a year before construction can begin then another two years for the hotel to be constructed. RLJ Development's president stated that he expects the hotel to be completed by 2007 at the latest. There's an external link to the article in the "External Links" section.
[edit] Update: Sunday, November 2, 2003
The Baltimore Sun has published another news story on Sunday, November 2, 2003 stating that Baltimore Mayor Martin O' Malley is expected to announce his final decision on the convention center headquarters hotel by the end of this week. O'Malley has many challenging issues regarding this hotel, a major issue is to possibly give up real estate that is specially suited to build a possible future expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center on. There's been debate on whether 750 rooms is enough to help the Baltimore Convention Center, a consultant report states that a suitable number of rooms should be 800. There's an external link to the article in the "External Links" section.
[edit] Update: Thursday, November 13, 2003
The Baltimore Sun has published another news story on Thursday, November 13, 2003 stating that Baltimore Mayor Martin O' Malley has made his final decision and he officially approved the 750 room Hilton Hotel RLJ proposal. RLJ Development now has been granted by the mayor a six month exclusive negotiating priority to build the $200 million 750 room Hilton Hotel. The Baltimore Development Corporation hopes to break ground on the project next year (2004) in the two vacant blocks along Pratt Street that is across from the Baltimore Convention Center and have the hotel open by 2006 or 2007. Two major items still needs to be negotiated though, 1. Financing, the city wants the hotel to have little financial impact as possible towards the citizens of Baltimore, and 2. Room block agreement with the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA), Leslie R. Doggett, BACVA's president and C.E.O. hopes that 60% of the 750 rooms would be available to BACVA at any given time, the proposal offers to make 600 rooms available to BACVA. A final decision will be made between the Hilton and the city when the hotel nears opening. O'Malley is projecting the hotel to bring in $4.4 million a year with taxes and other revenue and provide 461 jobs by the fourth year of operation. As stated previously, the hotel is still expected to have a 20,000 ft² (2,000 m²) grand ballroom, nearly 62,000 ft² (6,000 m²) of meeting/convention space, 1,000 underground parking spaces, shops and restaurants on the street level of the hotel, and an all-weather walkway connecting the hotel to the Baltimore Convention Center.
[edit] Update: Wednesday, November 24, 2004
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that development officials of Baltimore City will be requesting an estimated $290 million for the hotel project, making it one of Baltimore City's most costliest public works project in its history. The City of Baltimore will also set up a non-profit organization to develop, own, and operate the hotel which has an expected opening date of 2008.
[edit] Update: Tuesday, April 12, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that Baltimore officials planned to introduce legislation to the Baltimore City Council requesting $305 million in city revenue bonds for the project, it revealed that the Hilton will have 752 rooms.
[edit] Update: Friday, May 6, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that the Baltimore Planning Commission unanimously approved bills that would create a property tax district for the hotel project, the authorization of the revenue bond sales for the hotel project, and approve street closures for the construction. The article reveals that the hotel will be connected to the Baltimore Convention Center via a second-story skywalk and that the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association statistics showed that the lack of a convention center hotel caused Baltimore to lose approximately 120,000 room bookings, approximating to $100 million, in the past three years. The article also states that pending Baltimore City Council approval, the hotel could open as soon as Spring 2008.
[edit] Update: Thursday, June 23, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that the hotel project is being met with skepticism by the Baltimore City Council, many Baltimore City Council members question the need for the hotel project and why the project must be publicly financed.
[edit] Update: Monday, July 11, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that the Baltimore City Council has delayed a vote on the hotel project because only three out of the fifteen city council members support the project, eight members are either oppose it or leaning towards opposing it, three have not decided yet, and one had not responded to the Baltimore Sun inquiries. Two major issues that the remaining city council members has is that; 1. Baltimore development officials had not tried hard enough to find a private developer and 2. Baltimore does not need a convention center hotel. Countering the major issues, the Baltimore Development Corporation and Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley says the city needs the 752 room Hilton to remain competitive in the convention industry and that the Baltimore Development Corporation have insisted that they can not find a private investor that would rival the deal that's currently pending city council approval. Some on the city council, however, agree that public financing is the way to go because Baltimore would be able to share the profits that the hotel would generate and if it was privately funded, the city would not receive anything.
[edit] Update: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that the Baltimore City Council is considering amendments on the hotel project that would pave the way towards the approval of the project by the Baltimore City Council. The amendments would assure a living wage for hotel workers and force the board that would oversee the hotel to follow Maryland's open meetings law. It also stated that Baltimore Mayor O'Malley started conferring with city council president Sheila Dixon and calling city council members to win their support for the project.
[edit] Update: Tuesday, August 2, 2005
The Baltimore Sun has published another article stating that the Baltimore City Council, on August 1, narrowly passed the hotel bills out of committee on an 8-7 vote. The hotel bills now await full Baltimore City Council approval which a vote is scheduled on Monday, August 15, 2005, after the scheduled vote on August 15, if passed then, a second vote will occur and that second vote will determine if the hotel moves forward or is struck down by the Baltimore City Council.
[edit] Update: Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The Baltimore Sun published an article on August 16, 2005 stating that on the 15th the full Baltimore City Council approved the Convention Center Hotel bill by a 9 to 6 vote. Supporters of the measure were President Sheila Dixon, Vice President Stephanie C. Rawlings Blake, Paula Johnson Branch, Robert W. Curran, Kenneth N. Harris Sr., Helen L. Holton, Edward L. Reisinger, Rochelle "Rikki" Spector and Agnes Welch. Opponents of the measure were Mary Pat Clarke, Belinda Conaway, Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr., James B. Kraft, Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. and Bernard C. "Jack" Young. A largely formal, final vote is scheduled for September.
[edit] Update: Monday, September 19, 2005
The Baltimore Sun reported that the Baltimore City Council voted 9-5 to approve plans to construct the hotel by 2008.
[edit] Update: Monday, November 28, 2005
The Baltimore Sun reported that financing of the hotel is almost complete and groundbreaking is expected to occur early 2006 with the expected opening date of June 30, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Convention hotel recommendation is likely - Baltimore Sun - Thursday, October 23, 2003, 9:24 p.m. EDT
- Johnson group backed for city hotel - Friday, October 24, 2003, 4:41 p.m. EDT, updated 8:08 p.m. EDT
