CorsicanaBear said:

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I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this choice of locations. Scenic views of Bellmead are not really in high demand

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Yeah -- Elm Mott is a lot more scenic.

CorsicanaBear said:

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I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this choice of locations. Scenic views of Bellmead are not really in high demand and building in an old gravel pit near a correctional facility, welll... Perhaps that's why I'm not a real estate developer. I'm also note the "residences" part of the name with some interest.

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Well.... something has to be the pioneer in being the first thing to start revitalizing an area. Perhaps that corridor of HW6 around the McLennan County Jail will be developing over the next decade. Perhaps that is what the Hyatt company thinks at least. Perhaps it's is crazy like a Fox such as like the original Buzzard Billy's when they became the first lone development downtown in the warehouses in 93.

Just drove by to take a look, and to salute the Sic'em Container.

Lot's of dirt being moved on the future hotel site; lots of concrete drainage being buried on the back property line.

And yes, it will be a LONG walk for hotel guests to get their six-packs or sodas on LaSalle.

Ashley Hodge said:

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This hotel will not be owned by Baylor

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(Placeholder for Spectravision joke at later date)

RansomBU said:

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How could we possibly be doing this risky thing when tuition is where it is?

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Well played, sir.

Task Force 2015 said:

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As a Baylor related hotel will it feature alcohol free mini-bars and single beds?

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Homey like this.

Singletary63 said:

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90 plus acres from what I am being told. Going to be some nice condos for alums to buy and some nice shops/restaurants to follow all within easy access to football/baseball/softball/track and basketball events.
Will definitely be a game changer for the area.

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The hotel is on Baylor's website but isn't owned by Baylor. Is it for Baylor usage, general public usage or both?

whitetrash said:

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Ashley Hodge said:

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some interesting details here:

https://www.waco-texas.com/userfiles/cms-root/file/Z-18-19.pdf

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Based on initial comments (without specifics) I thought this was going to be by Brazos Parking and the apartments that used to be crackhouses but have been reasonably cleaned up.

Instead this is proposed on part of the old Young Brothers gravel pit and storage yard across LaSalle at the dead end of MLK. As the crow flies, it would be roughly the same distance from the FC as the Mayborn Museum, and the same distance from McLane as the Courtyard downtown, if not a little further. Right now there is no pedestrian access to FC area (no sidewalk on LaSalle bridge, plus the need to cross the drainage ditch that runs between the FC parking lot and LaSalle). I would presume the new arena would include continuation of the riverwalk to and beyond LaSalle, but adding pedestrian access across the river would require a new bridge or an widening of the existing one.

And as far as proximity to local amenities, the closest restaurants to the site are the DQ and Subway at 2nd and LaSalle, and the closest gas station/C-store is the Alon a block further.

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Hence the term "development"....

Based on purchasing activity around LaSalle in the last year, that street is about to chance in a major (and good) way.

Brian Ethridge said:

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OsoCoreyell said:

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Based on purchasing activity around LaSalle in the last year, that street is about to chance in a major (and good) way.

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It needs an upgrade and could be better for Baylor than downtown.

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Man, that whole development right there where the gravel pit is and development on Lasalle is looong overdue. So glad it's finally happening.

Ashley Hodge said:

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UBBY said:

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Singletary63 said:

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90 plus acres from what I am being told. Going to be some nice condos for alums to buy and some nice shops/restaurants to follow all within easy access to football/baseball/softball/track and basketball events.
Will definitely be a game changer for the area.

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The hotel is on Baylor's website but isn't owned by Baylor. Is it for Baylor usage, general public usage or both?

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both

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I examined further the link you provided.
So the area across from the Ferrell Center parking lot is for condos, apartments, retail and restaurants? There is an area across the street that is highlighted in red, also part of where the gravel pit is that says "Mixed Use Flex." Those areas in red are to be developed also?

This isn't complicated people. Going to be directly across the river from the new basketball arena. Something tells me they will figure out how to build another bridge across the river to connect it to the arena!

Visiting basketball teams can just walk across the bridge from the hotel on game day.....that would be fun to see the players make that walk amongst the fans!

Singletary63 said:

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This isn't complicated people. Going to be directly across the river from the new basketball arena. Something tells me they will figure out how to build another bridge across the river to connect it to the arena!

Visiting basketball teams can just walk across the bridge from the hotel on game day.....that would be fun to see the players make that walk amongst the fans!

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That's not what the map showed on the link Ashley provided. The hotel will be along the river where the gravel pit is. Unless the plans changed.

I've already bought a space age yacht to run as a Tuber driver.

Interesting choice of location - not. Should have a nice view of prison yard activities from the higher floors.

Plus, it will now unnecessarily congest and ruin what otherwise is / has been a long standing EASY in-n-out route to all things Baylor for those of us coming up HWY6.

Refresh my memory. Is this gravel pit the one of Carlton Dodson infamy?

beardoc said:

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Refresh my memory. Is this gravel pit the one of Carlton Dodson infamy?

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Nope. That one was further downstream on the other side of the brazos off the far end of Univ-Parks, near the wastewater treatment plant.

I am opening the Steele Motor Inn across the street for those on a budget.

Yogi said:

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I am opening the Steele Motor Inn across the street for those on a budget.

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Free emotional hugs and a vegetarian buffet included?

Bear8084 said:

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Yogi said:

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I am opening the Steele Motor Inn across the street for those on a budget.

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Free emotional hugs and a vegetarian buffet included?

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Yes, and Dale Steele soft serve machine to boot!!!

Boondoggle.

However, I'll bet they dig up a couple of buried bodies in that cess pool.

Thee University said:

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Boondoggle.

However, I'll bet they dig up a couple of buried bodies in that cess pool.

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And a Cadillac DeVille or 2...

BaylorOkie said:

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EK bear said:

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Development is good. Lotta grumbling from ppl with $0.00 invested in this project.

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Quoted because this needs to be said again and again.

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The market is a good and powerful thing. If this is a bad idea, people won't stay there and it will fail. If it is great (and it looks pretty darn good) it will succeed and make the investors a pile of money. America.

OsoCoreyell said:

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BaylorOkie said:

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EK bear said:

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Development is good. Lotta grumbling from ppl with $0.00 invested in this project.

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Quoted because this needs to be said again and again.

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The market is a good and powerful thing. If this is a bad idea, people won't stay there and it will fail. If it is great (and it looks pretty darn good) it will succeed and make the investors a pile of money. America.

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Yep, this.

It's an odd location for sure but that likely made it affordable. Is convenient only to Baylor and a jail so I'd be curious what Baylor insiders got this deal done.

This will have a much better chance of success by relocating the electric substation that is colossal eyesore currently occupying the space between Buzzard Billy's and MLK and the I-35 frontage road.

Build the hotel in that space and move the substation to the current proposed hotel site sitting on a toxic waste dump.

Don't tell me it can't be done. Look at the current path of the high tension wires that carry the electricity.

TXU Electric owns that substation (9.712 acres) and they have 1.42 acres right in the middle of the proposed build site currently owned by Grant Hotel Hospitality. This proposed property went from Young Brothers Construction to Bear Pump Riverfront Development in March of 2015 to Grant Hotel in November of 2017.

Thee University said:

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This will have a much better chance of success by relocating the electric substation that is colossal eyesore currently occupying the space between Buzzard Billy's and MLK and the I-35 frontage road.

Build the hotel in that space and move the substation to the current proposed hotel site sitting on a toxic waste dump.

Don't tell me it can't be done. Look at the current path of the high tension wires that carry the electricity.

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put your money where your mouth is