Just read Degenerates old posts. While it is well thought out and presents a good argument against building "a" new hotel, it doesn't present a good argument for building this hotel.

There are several hotels built around the southern most exit of H'burg. These hotels do not service downtown nor campus. They are simply last resorts for big football weekends when more convenient hotels are full. The Red Carpet Inn is there. That hotel has been in existence since my teen years 40 years ago. It has never thrived. It is and always has been somewhat of a dump. I would not stay there if it were the only bed available in town. If it fails, I will call it survival of the fittest.

The private sector built all of the hotels at this southern exit and I would say the private sector overbuilt this area. If 200 rooms are lost, it will be from this area which is not a bad thing. Downtown needs a hotel. There are none there.

(04-30-2016 09:03 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  CISDuke I might write a check too WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE

my guess is jmujohn thinks the toyota dealer could write a nice check and call it the Civic center

I don't know whom you speak of as "The Toyota Dealer." The Civic Center mention was just something I thought of while typing my original post... A "throwback" name of city gathering places. I do know that the game changers in regards to the shovels breaking the dirt on the new arena "aren't interested as long as the current regime is in charge." Many schools have benefited by donations to athletics and related facilities from their most wealthy alums. The BOV we currently have are more interested in Political Correctness than anything else... Let's go hire a diversity attorney as President, a "Juice" salesman as head football coach, a former alum and a good person but unproven HC as the new men's basketball coach. All the while they insult the best coach we had at JMU (Kenny Brooks) with a paltry pay raise offer to stay. Small time thinking gives us small time results, trailing inferior schools in the race to even be a mention in the theater of big time sports for infinity. Amen!

(05-03-2016 02:33 AM)johnjmu98 Wrote:  

(04-30-2016 09:03 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  CISDuke I might write a check too WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE

my guess is jmujohn thinks the toyota dealer could write a nice check and call it the Civic center

I don't know whom you speak of as "The Toyota Dealer." The Civic Center mention was just something I thought of while typing my original post... A "throwback" name of city gathering places. I do know that the game changers in regards to the shovels breaking the dirt on the new arena "aren't interested as long as the current regime is in charge." Many schools have benefited by donations to athletics and related facilities from their most wealthy alums. The BOV we currently have are more interested in Political Correctness than anything else... Let's go hire a diversity attorney as President, a "Juice" salesman as head football coach, a former alum and a good person but unproven HC as the new men's basketball coach. All the while they insult the best coach we had at JMU (Kenny Brooks) with a paltry pay raise offer to stay. Small time thinking gives us small time results, trailing inferior schools in the race to even be a mention in the theater of big time sports for infinity. Amen!

I don't buy it. Your post is riddled with saltiness not actual facts.

A connected and well informed alumnus would make the gift to the University regardless of who the president is. They would see the bigger picture and what the impact of said gift would do for the University as a whole. Don't tell me the Hartt family is a bunch of chumps. Don't sit there and tell me Jeff Tickle (2.5M donation to college of engineering this spring) is a moron for seeing how his gift would impact the greater JMU CISAT community. You can't say the Forbes, Estes, Showker families are a bunch of suckers. If there's a 5 million donor withholding a gift because of Jon Alger, JMU never had a chance to close that gift in the first place.

(05-02-2016 10:41 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I can promise you Charlie King is using the project as a money maker for JMU and what better training ground for JMUs hotel and restaurant management majors than one on campus. App St. has a school owned hotel on campus or at least they did back in the mid 2000s when I stayed there.

This is just more stupid complaining about nothing. The hotel will be the first one built close to a revitalized downtown. I can't wait until it is completed because it will be my first option when I stay after football and basketball games.

Dukeman is a banker and yet he acts like he doesn't understand business. I can promise you this hotel will be every alum's first option when they visit Harrisonburg. Charlie King knows commercial real estate better than anyone on these boards. It is what he does best. There is always opposition no matter what the project. A downtown hotel is very much needed and will be used.

One last thing, the foundation often fronts the construction money for real estate projects while Charlie works on the permanent financing. This speeds the process to finished product along. The apartments built across from Anthony Seger were funded this way as well. Do some of you want to complain about them as well?

The hotel at App State closed and has been demolished.

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/community...71f63.html

(05-03-2016 08:32 AM)fanofallthatisjmu Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 08:01 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 02:33 AM)johnjmu98 Wrote:  

(04-30-2016 09:03 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  CISDuke I might write a check too WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE

my guess is jmujohn thinks the toyota dealer could write a nice check and call it the Civic center

I don't know whom you speak of as "The Toyota Dealer." The Civic Center mention was just something I thought of while typing my original post... A "throwback" name of city gathering places. I do know that the game changers in regards to the shovels breaking the dirt on the new arena "aren't interested as long as the current regime is in charge." Many schools have benefited by donations to athletics and related facilities from their most wealthy alums. The BOV we currently have are more interested in Political Correctness than anything else... Let's go hire a diversity attorney as President, a "Juice" salesman as head football coach, a former alum and a good person but unproven HC as the new men's basketball coach. All the while they insult the best coach we had at JMU (Kenny Brooks) with a paltry pay raise offer to stay. Small time thinking gives us small time results, trailing inferior schools in the race to even be a mention in the theater of big time sports for infinity. Amen!

I don't buy it. Your post is riddled with saltiness not actual facts.

A connected and well informed alumnus would make the gift to the University regardless of who the president is. They would see the bigger picture and what the impact of said gift would do for the University as a whole. Don't tell me the Hartt family is a bunch of chumps. Don't sit there and tell me Jeff Tickle (2.5M donation to college of engineering this spring) is a moron for seeing how his gift would impact the greater JMU CISAT community. You can't say the Forbes, Estes, Showker families are a bunch of suckers. If there's a 5 million donor withholding a gift because of Jon Alger, JMU never had a chance to close that gift in the first place.

I truly have no idea either way but I lean in Deez's thoughts here. There is quite a difference between smaller donors withholding and putting money to use in other areas and multi-millionaire gifts. If one is in a position to put up 7 figure donations it is a different ballgame. If you say I am going to give X but not anymore because of Y, then I would have a hard time believing you. However, if you put X amount in escrow, or some percentage of X amount, to show how committed to change you are then I think it carries more weight. Each person is different, but if you want change, you need to show you are serious.

For most people with that kind of money they are used to their word meaning that they are serious. Doesn't sound like you know how insulting that would be.

Super Agent David Faulk told a funny story on Sports Junkies a few days ago. Said he met the pro golfer Luke Donald in Chicago and they had dinner with a mutual friend. During dinner it came up that Donald was playing a tournament at Kiawah Island. David Faulk invited Luke Donald to use his house on Kiawah the week of the tournament as he would be away on business. Sometime after the dinner but well before the tournament an assistant of Luke Donald's called up Faulk about the use of his house. At some point in the conversation the assistant, in an attempt to vet how nice the house was, asked him to send over a blueprint of the layout. He just laughed and hung up the phone. Never talked to Luke Donald again.

You don't ask a rich guy who offers you the use of his house how big and how nice it is. It's insulting.

Here's a link of his 10,000 square foot house. Never been but I am assuming there is enough room for Luke Donald, his wife, their child and the nanny.

http://www.homeanddesign.com/2012/04/13/...ide-escape

The bottom of the article mentions Faulks $15M donation to Syracuse. This is his quote of the article.

“Really successful people have an affinity for seeing the road ahead.”

(05-03-2016 08:23 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(05-02-2016 10:41 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I can promise you Charlie King is using the project as a money maker for JMU and what better training ground for JMUs hotel and restaurant management majors than one on campus. App St. has a school owned hotel on campus or at least they did back in the mid 2000s when I stayed there.

This is just more stupid complaining about nothing. The hotel will be the first one built close to a revitalized downtown. I can't wait until it is completed because it will be my first option when I stay after football and basketball games.

Dukeman is a banker and yet he acts like he doesn't understand business. I can promise you this hotel will be every alum's first option when they visit Harrisonburg. Charlie King knows commercial real estate better than anyone on these boards. It is what he does best. There is always opposition no matter what the project. A downtown hotel is very much needed and will be used.

One last thing, the foundation often fronts the construction money for real estate projects while Charlie works on the permanent financing. This speeds the process to finished product along. The apartments built across from Anthony Seger were funded this way as well. Do some of you want to complain about them as well?

The hotel at App State closed and has been demolished.

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/community...71f63.html

I'm not sure that the hotel at App State is even a relevant point of discussion in support of either argument here - the article says it was built in 1973, so by the time it was closed it had almost been in use for 40 years.

That's a fairly long life span for a building in the service industry, and more importantly, it was built in a different time where the university likely had different goals.

I saw the following at the Duke Club Scholarship Auction one of the years it was held at the Festival. It stuck with me. I hope he won't mind me telling this story:
Bruce Forbes was bidding on an item in the silent auction. I dont remember what the item was, but I do remember that it was not something of substantial value. A gentleman that I did not know came behind Forbes and essentially took the pen out of his hand in order to outbid him. I remember Forbes turning and just staring at the guy while he logged in his bid. He stood there waiting for the guy to walk away, waited a moment, picked up the pen and wrote down a number that, trust me, was not going to be outbid again.

(05-03-2016 08:46 AM)JMUETC Wrote:  The bottom of the article mentions Faulks $15M donation to Syracuse. This is his quote of the article.

“Really successful people have an affinity for seeing the road ahead.”

another reason why a 7 figure donor wouldn't withhold a gift only because of Jon Alger.

(05-03-2016 08:57 AM)H.U.S.T.L.E. Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 08:23 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  

(05-02-2016 10:41 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I can promise you Charlie King is using the project as a money maker for JMU and what better training ground for JMUs hotel and restaurant management majors than one on campus. App St. has a school owned hotel on campus or at least they did back in the mid 2000s when I stayed there.

This is just more stupid complaining about nothing. The hotel will be the first one built close to a revitalized downtown. I can't wait until it is completed because it will be my first option when I stay after football and basketball games.

Dukeman is a banker and yet he acts like he doesn't understand business. I can promise you this hotel will be every alum's first option when they visit Harrisonburg. Charlie King knows commercial real estate better than anyone on these boards. It is what he does best. There is always opposition no matter what the project. A downtown hotel is very much needed and will be used.

One last thing, the foundation often fronts the construction money for real estate projects while Charlie works on the permanent financing. This speeds the process to finished product along. The apartments built across from Anthony Seger were funded this way as well. Do some of you want to complain about them as well?

The hotel at App State closed and has been demolished.

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/community...71f63.html

I'm not sure that the hotel at App State is even a relevant point of discussion in support of either argument here - the article says it was built in 1973, so by the time it was closed it had almost been in use for 40 years.

That's a fairly long life span for a building in the service industry, and more importantly, it was built in a different time where the university likely had different goals.

I think it is relevant that they are not considering building an updated hotel in the same place or replacing it with a similar facility somewhere else.

(05-03-2016 09:00 AM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 08:46 AM)JMUETC Wrote:  The bottom of the article mentions Faulks $15M donation to Syracuse. This is his quote of the article.

“Really successful people have an affinity for seeing the road ahead.”

another reason why a 7 figure donor wouldn't withhold a gift only because of Jon Alger.

Maybe he sees that the road ahead for JMU is better without Alger.

I don't know if he does or does not, but If someone came to the university with a specific condition for a large donation, then the University just needs to decide which they value more. His donation or whatever condition he/she has. It's how the world works.

Rumor on the boards was that Mike Battle promised a big fat check if MM was fired. Not only was MM let go but Mike Battle was placed on the search committee for finding MM's replacement. If the rumor is true then this shows an example of $$ with conditions.

I think anyone, rich or poor, black or white, short or tall, that donates money to JMU while Jon Alger is President is being financially irresponsible.

He needs to be wiped from our history books and removed from office.

What has he done?
How has he moved us forward academically? (We know he hasn't athletically.)
How are we better off now than when he took office?

(05-03-2016 09:04 AM)JMUETC Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 08:57 AM)H.U.S.T.L.E. Wrote:  I'm not sure that the hotel at App State is even a relevant point of discussion in support of either argument here - the article says it was built in 1973, so by the time it was closed it had almost been in use for 40 years.

That's a fairly long life span for a building in the service industry, and more importantly, it was built in a different time where the university likely had different goals.

I think it is relevant that they are not considering building an updated hotel in the same place or replacing it with a similar facility somewhere else.

That's fair. But isn't it also fair to ask the question, "Did this facility meet a need for a time, but is no longer needed?" Considering it was operated for almost 40 years, you'd have to think that it made financial sense for most of its lifespan - otherwise, wouldn't it have gone away sooner?

I also tend to think the situation regarding a hotel/conference center at JMU is much different than App State though. Just in a basic geographical sense, I think JMU is probably positioned better to take advantage of such a facility. Boone is at least an hour drive from every interstate surrounding it, while Harrisonburg is easily accessible from a busy interstate corridor. I would think that being so close to a major thoroughfare would work in JMU/Harrisonburg's favor, but I could be wrong about that.

Personally, I kinda like the idea of having a hotel on campus, but I also wonder how viable it will be, especially after watching GMU shutter the Mason Inn after only four years. Gotta think there is a ton more demand for hotel and conference space in Fairfax than Harrisonburg. Also a lot more supply, I concede.

I don't like the idea of JMU putting foundation dollars into it though. I don't know if subsidizing the hotel will ultimately make sense. They better have a full bar that stays open past 10:00, dammit.

I do agree that any wealthy donor is more than within their rights to attach whatever "strings" he/she wants to the donation. The University is also within their rights to tell to donor "no thanks".

The only higher-end hotel option that exists in Harrisonburg is Courtyard/Residence Inn. There are also no options close to the downtown. JMU also has a pretty highly regarded hotel and restaurant management school. That is what makes JMU different than Mason.

(05-03-2016 11:23 AM)91Alum Wrote:  Personally, I kinda like the idea of having a hotel on campus, but I also wonder how viable it will be, especially after watching GMU shutter the Mason Inn after only four years. Gotta think there is a ton more demand for hotel and conference space in Fairfax than Harrisonburg. Also a lot more supply, I concede.

I don't like the idea of JMU putting foundation dollars into it though. I don't know if subsidizing the hotel will ultimately make sense. They better have a full bar that stays open past 10:00, dammit.

I do agree that any wealthy donor is more than within their rights to attach whatever "strings" he/she wants to the donation. The University is also within their rights to tell to donor "no thanks".

Spot on, but that actually goes for any donor, wealthy or not.

(05-03-2016 12:13 PM)PhillyDuke Wrote:  The only higher-end hotel option that exists in Harrisonburg is Courtyard/Residence Inn. There are also no options close to the downtown. JMU also has a pretty highly regarded hotel and restaurant management school. That is what makes JMU different than Mason.

I don't really think the ranking of the HRM school matters that much wrt. the on campus hotel, but I was curious. First random website I found had mason 2nd in VA behind Tech and ahead of JMU (third). Same random website had GMU 56 and JMU 65 in the country.

Hospitality-colleges.com.

I agree it's great for me having been to the ones at UNC, Duke and Tech. They are awesome. Just wonder if it's where JMU should be spending money.

Hypothetical. Forget color of money, pots of money and VA general assembly stuff, but if JMU had $10M laying around and could spend it any way they wanted. Would we rather they use it to pay for ~12% of the new convo and get the party started, or put it toward a downtown/on campus hotel/ conference center?

The hotel and conference center will do well. JMU has had to turn down hundreds of events because it didn't have the conference space. This will allow them to hold these events. Hotel wise, they are turning a Holiday Inn into a Double Tree and are closing a Best Western to build an Olive Garden/Krispy Kreme. The demand will remain high enough to allow the current hotels and the new one to remain open in Harrisonburg. Keep in mind the city is only getting bigger.

(05-03-2016 09:24 AM)Dadgum Wrote:  I think anyone, rich or poor, black or white, short or tall, that donates money to JMU while Jon Alger is President is being financially irresponsible.

He needs to be wiped from our history books and removed from office.

What has he done?
How has he moved us forward academically? (We know he hasn't athletically.)
How are we better off now than when he took office?

If Gartner put out a magic quadrant for university presidents there would be a dot at the lower left corner right where the X and Y axes meet that said "J. Alger".

(05-03-2016 08:23 AM)jmu98 Wrote:  The hotel at App State closed and has been demolished.

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/community...71f63.html

That ASU project looks like a run-down Motel 6. In other words a dump and a far cry from what the Hotel Madison will look and feel like with a major conference center and 1000 car parking deck attached.