Why our Water Front should be Hotels, convention center, Condo’s, restaurants/bar/entertainment

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

Because NYC is expecting 50 million tourists, we’re 25 minutes away, we could have ferry service in addition to train, taxi etc.. There is demand for hotels that NYC can’t meet, tax revenue, no school burden and tourists spend money. It would also lead to the development of David’s Island. Or we could turn it into dorms for Monroe College, It’s your choice.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nyc_losing_rentals_much_committee_vCZqXYZKrkHBS83abcOk4I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Local

13 thoughts on “Why our Water Front should be Hotels, convention center, Condo’s, restaurants/bar/entertainment”

  1. New Rochelle, No small minds here!
    Just the narrow minds we have in control,

    Tom,
    You repeat the same information like many of your postings going back. Well intentioned it maybe, correct on some points over time. As you see not much changes as the small minded people keep saying the same thing over and over again. Majority Rules we can’t help that!

    Development is just that, development. You need something more than what is currently available for tourists to be attracted to and want to stay in New Rochelle. Even as a resting point heading into the city there needs to be some attraction or interest that gets the people/tourists interested in New Rochelle first. We can’t do the build it and they will come routine. It hasn’t worked in the past.

    Back on 6/7/12, you said, “The small minds of New Rochelle residents that don’t travel don’t understand the tourism industry; don’t understand the hotel industry etc…Will never understand this concept”. Well, there are actually a lot of capable people here in New Rochelle as you can see by the Armory Proposal. We have people that do this sort of thing for a living among our residents. It is just New Rochelle politics has a very bad habit of stifling the creative people that want to help and could help. There is a definite disconnect.

    You said it, “The key is proper marketing”. Part of marketing is strategy, research and execution. If you bring in multiple hotel chains and boutique style hotels, it would work? None of the chains would want to be left out for fear that it would be a big success? Left out of what? We have become the city of empty stores and high taxes. We lack the leadership, city management, and staff with the proper business and marketing backgrounds it takes. No Vision, No Foresight and No Passion for the future of New Rochelle, Just self-interest and self-advancement in politics for themselves and their political parties. Not just now but for many years, many mayors and many administrations from the past.

    As I said then, “There is no reason for people to visit New Rochelle to stay in the hotel. If we need more hotels, then why is the Radisson half to three quarter’s office space now and the Marriott, Avalon and Trump renting to Monroe and Iona College student? The same answer as the residential vacancies, there is no draw, no attraction that is in place that has a big enough selling points. Ask any realtor, I have. Several friends of mine in real-estate said that the mayors, landlords and the developers have sucked the life out of New Rochelle. That is part of why they moved as no others. We need to get a heartbeat before we can move forward with such ambitious plans like hotels, convention centers, Condo’s, restaurants/bar/entertainment.

    I said it in my post from, “It’s YOUR Armory – This is How We Keep It.” on 6/5/12. Cater to Sports, The Arts, Entertainment and many different types of social events. There are several Armories close by that I have had the pleasure of dealing with over the years. As historical landmarks and as sporting event venues these locations see wonderful amounts of use. They are of great value to their communities, The City and State of New York.

    We also have to deal with three separate issues here and not just Echo Bay. We have a crumbling Armory that should be restored, a downtown district that needs to be restored, land purchased in an area not fit for a city yard and of course, we have The potential need to upgrade our City Yard at some point. We don’t have to re-invent the wheel, there are plenty of city, county, state and federal agencies out there that are already working on our tax dollars. Let’s put them to use, other cities and communities have done so quite successfully.

    The first step is we need a plan and work it. Don’t just come up with a plan because it will make it look like you care. Develop a plan that everyone believes in and can follow into the future. It must be in the best interest of the citizens and taxpayers of New Rochelle. Not any developers or politicians looking at their future more than the immediate needs of the city. Plans have been made and studies done but if they aren’t used correctly or even followed at all, they are useless. Look what was done with the 1996 Comprehensive Plan. I agree with Warren on his points exactly. You have made some valid points as well over time. We need people in office that will listen to others that want and will help. I believe we now have a few on The City Council that are starting to get it. I hope so for New Rochelle’s sake!

    We have people out there that would and could help turn New Rochelle around. The Mayor, City Manager and City Council just have to ask. Use the Armory to be the project that brings the community back together, create something wonderful and revitalize Downtown New Rochelle at the same time. It can happen. Then we can move forward with such ambitious plans like hotels, convention centers and condo’s.

    “Common Sense for the Common Good”

    1. There are Tourists
      During extensive restoration of my home I stayed at the Marriott for 3 weeks until a rental house was available for the duration of the restoration process.

      During those 3 weeks around the peak Christmas season there were a number of European tourists who utilized the Marriott which offered a substantial savings over the high rates charged by the Manhattan hotels. The Marriott’s proximity to the Metro North train added to it’s poularity with these tourists. So it wasn’t anything that New Rochelle had to offer but rather it’s quick ride on the train to NY – sort of what the daily commuters find attractive about NR. They would board the trains after breakfast, see the sights and shows in Manhattan and return in the evening and night time hours. Europeans in particular do not shun taking the trains as We Americans do on Vacations abroad.

      The point is there is a market for budget minded tourists which should be explored further. And as more and more of them discover this money saving alternative to a Manhattan hotel stay more hotel rooms would be needed to fill the demand.

      1. Marriot in New Rochelle has one of the highest occupancy rates
        It is because of tourists but new Rochelle also has another steady stream of hotel guests, the wedding guest. New Rochelle has very many wedding venues. Including all the beach clubs that host weddings. The guests often stay at the Raddison and Marriot. The waterfront with hotels, convention center, condo, restaurant, entertainment, ferry service to Manhattan, dinner cruise etc, is the visionary way to proceed. Anything else is selling us short.

      2. New Rochelle Marriott occupancy rate is over 95%
        that rate is unheard of in the hotel business. It is probably one of the best rates of all Marriott’s worldwide and far exceeds the hotel industry average of 40-70%. Tell me again how no one wants to stay in New Rochelle. Please people, we have 1 shot to get this right.

    2. Bob, the short answer i=.NO MARKETING, NO VISION, NO UNDERSTANDI
      Where to stay when visiting NYC. New Rochelle will not show up. If we truly had a New Rochelle marketing plan, brought in the Marriott, Raddison and had other offerings, they would be booked at 95%+ all year. I can’t express enough that the Armory plan will fail and fail miserably. Tourists do not need activities and tourist attractions in New Rochelle to choose New Rochelle as the place to stay when visiting NYC. They are here to visit NYC. Just as people stay miles away from Disney when visiting Disney world to avoid paying the high prices of staying in Disney itself. If people don’t understand this it’s because they are not informed and have no direct knowledge of the New York tourism industry. Unfortunately, it seems to be many people in New Rochelle. I’ve spoken to dozens of people and they have the same reaction. “Why would anyone want to stay here”. Then after a few more questions i realize they are commenting without having even the slightest idea about business, tourism, tourism numbers, where NYC visitors are staying now, hotel occupancy, the drastic shortage of hotel space etc…

      1. New Rochelle needs to start somewhere first!
        Tom,

        You left out what it seems to you and how many others feel, NO CHANCE!

        You are right on all accounts. However, many of the people like me still feel there is a chance to instill change in New Rochelle. There is HOPE! What you and I have said about the lack of marketing, vision and understanding are right on the nose. With some of the new members on The City Council we hope to get more support for the people of New Rochelle. So they can truly have a voice with more open government. Cooperation and Teamwork go a long way. Not redundant studies and committees that cost time and money.

        That the Armory plan will fail and fail miserably? We hope not. Correct, tourists do not need activities and tourist attractions in New Rochelle to choose New Rochelle as the place to stay when visiting NYC. They need to know about New Rochelle. What better way to get on the map then some positive headlines about a beautiful Armory Arts and Entertainment Center, regardless of who builds it, and a thriving Downtown New Rochelle. You know what it is like to be a tourist in NYC. No better way to end your day of being on the run in NYC then a nice glass of wine and dinner just a stone’s throw from your hotel. Positive press and word of mouth are some of the best and least expensive marketing tools in the book. Those are the first lessons for anyone with a marketing and advertising educational background.

        I don’t have the formal experience of a tourist specialist. I do have many years of experience in an industry working with some very well run and marketed tourist related businesses such as Chelsea Piers, The Empire State Building, Big Apple Tours, The Intrepid and many Broadway and NYC venues. To watch some of those people work and the thinking within their organizations is amazing. Even better is the fact that they are not just about tourists. They attract local people, local tour groups and schools from all over the tri-state area.

        I do agree with your thinking. I just think with the people we have in place right now, we need to walk before we can run. Take a step that would bring the City Staff and the people of New Rochelle together and form a community, a true community, not just something for show and a political resume. Yonkers, Port Chester, Peekskill and many surrounding cities have shown it can be done. We need an extreme make over, so in Ty Pennington’s words, “LET’S DO IT!!!

        New Rochelle needs to wake up before it is too late to save even the Armory from disaster. Our City staff is doing the same thing to The City of New Rochelle as they have the Armory and all the other falling apart buildings we are trying to sell off or have sold for a dollar. We can do it and it must be done.

        “Common Sense for the Common Good”

      2. Robert Moses They Ain’t
        I’ll defer to your development experience in Santa Monica, Tom. I’ve developed film, and that’s about it. But you know what? I’ve lived here a long time. Long enough to remember a wedding at Fort Slocum in 1965. And I’ve watched this ongoing experiment by New Rochelle, to solve it’s fiscal woes, since they dug up and transferred caskets in a church grave yard to make room for the original New Rochelle Mall.
        And Bloomingdales on Main Street went north to White Plains. (How’s that tax base from movies and video games in NewRocCity doin’ by the way?)

        What a winner!

        Then it was “The Avalon” that was gonna’ break it open for the Downtown, Tom. And then it was Trump. It’s always just over the horizon for Ol’ NewRo. One more great development plan, and it’ll bust this city’s financial future wide open! And now it’s Echo Bay’s turn. That’ll be the ticket, right Tom? They’ll be packing them in like sardines, all those Belgian’s, Poles and Spaniard’s right?
        And if they don’t?
        Oh, I know. It’ll be different THIS time, Mike. And what does that plain old citizen of New Rochelle get out of this when tourist patterns change, or the Euro goes down the toilet? ( wanna’ bet on that one?) Or some other place “out cheapens” the cheap European-to-New Rochelle-to-NYC tourist dream? (when you find the family of four from Kansas planning this into their NYC trip, I’ll eat my Frommer’s map)

        You know what kills me about all these genius development plans to save this city, Tom? I’ll wager you every single town from here to Stamford to Saybrook to Milford, and on up past New London all along the L.I. Sound, have a Condo/Restaurant/Strip Mall someplace, overlooking their coastal marshlands. Exactly like Echo Bay.

        But how many of them have their own island?

        And since the late 1960’s the political savants running New Rochelle have rung up an ugly, yellow highlighted, embarrassing “Zero”. “Nada”. “Zilch.” A delicious “Nothingburger”, with the most unique and valuable real estate property in the entire Western Long Island Sound. And you want to talk about ferry access from NYC? Are you kidding? Views? Do the words Gold Mine ring a bell?

        Take the 80 million dollars, double, triple or quadruple it, or whatever, and develop a plan for Davids Island. THAT will change the financial future for New Rochelle in one shot.
        But then, again, that would take an actual bonafide Developer. Not some Forrest City Yonkers Shopping Center hack.

        Let the people of New Rochelle have a Performing Arts Center/Veterans Memorial. Something of their own. If it fails, they went down swinging.

        Like they’d be the first around here?

      3. That about sums it up
        Mike, I’ve lived in New Rochelle for 54 years. Born here, temp moves for business but I’ve witnessed the same things you mentioned. Small people making small decisions.

      4. Mike, Just for the Record
        I was against Avalon 1 and 2. Luxury rentals was a joke then and now. I predicted they’d eventually be luxury Projects. I was against Trump, didn’t think their was enough demand. I was against New Roc, it was a flawed vision. But I will say this. If the 3 towers were to convert to Hotels and spend on promotion, Websites etc…they wouold enjoy the same occupancy rate as the Marriott and Raddison. Perhaps that should be the test. Have the Avalon convert 20 of the empty floors to Hotel space and see what happens. If they fill up we can proceed with looking into the viability of Echo bay as a primarily NYC tourist destination. I’ve dealt with many negative, uninformed, NO mentality people. They usually don;t change but the world gets built around them anyway.

  2. what waterfront
    Tom the waterfront is more illusion than fact unless you throw in Hudson and/or Five Island Park. What you got is a more akin to a footpath overllooking a tired inlest with a multi story treatment plant sticking up out of the water near the shore line.

    But, sadly you could be right about Monroe, but if matters come to hand in the way that they should, we could be spared the pain of your prediction.

    Looks like the Tocci team has very sensibly collaborated with the New Rochelle Opera House and others to form what should be a partnership that even the current administration cannot refuse.

    This is really excellent because we can take advantage of Ivar Hyden’s point that the Armory should be the leading edge for development in Echo Bay.

    Here is a thought I pushed earlier. Look across the street from the Armory and you see a nice little enclave of small businesses doing well on East Main. How about looking at a pedestrian bridge to bring residents and occupants safely across from one side of Main to the other?

    Tom, a step further…. there is Davids’ Island which essentially has not really received concentrated developmental attention because of lack of perspective or cmprehensive plan development.

    Suppose that opened up in some way; actually I would have little trouble seeing the Jerome family working on some campus arrangement on site supported by recreatinoal facilities. Why not, it is both plenty of open space for an increasing sports and academic foothold as well as something that would open up presently occupied space on Main and elsewhere to revdrt back to original land use potential.

    How do the students get there. Well, lots of dormitories and classroom space and, Jerome is an enterprising and energetic guy. He can do better than most people in figuring that out. Give them enough slip or marina footage and, well you know the rest.

    1. Echo Bay.
      The Echo Bay property is more than enough room for Large scale Hotel, convention Center, with Condo’s on top. The problem with New Rochelle residents is that they do not realize how many millions of people can;t find hotel space when planning a trip to NYC. In addition, the prices are extremely high. We are so close to Manhattan, we would have no trouble marketing to NYC bound tourists. The treatment plant is not an obstacle. It isn’t the nicest view, but normally hotel rooms without a beautiful view are less expensive and Tourists visiting Manhatttan aren’t sitting in their room staring out of the window all day. We have 5 islands, hudson park, david’s island available to cater to this demographic. What would it hurt to each out to several large chains and open a dialogue? The sales tax, hotel tax revenue would be extremely large, without the burden on the school system. To be so close to Manhattan and not take advantage of it is foolish. Tourists stay in Hotels in Brooklyn because they’re only 40 minutes by subway from Manhattan, New Ro is 25 minutes away.

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