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MANCHESTER INN

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Vivian Moon View Drop Down
MUSA Council
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Joined: May 16 2008
Location: Middletown, Ohi
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: MANCHESTER INN
    Posted: Jun 30 2014 at 10:53am

Posted: 3:24 p.m. Monday, June 23, 2014

Manchester Inn closer to being designated historic

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN 

    On its long road to being prominent again, the Manchester Inn took another step when the Ohio Historic Preservation Advisory Board recently unanimously approved the city’s nomination of the hotel to the National Register of Historic Places.

    This does not mean the city has received final approval because the nomination has to be confirmed at the federal level, but it’s a good indication the nomination will move forward, said Denise Hamet, the city’s director of economic development.

    She said the nomination will enable the redevelopment partner to compete for historic tax credits to help defray the cost of renovating the 92-year-old hotel. She hopes the Manchester Inn will be eligible to receive state and federal tax credits that could reduce some of the expenses associated with repairing downtown hotel, which typically are higher because of the age of the property.

    Illinois investor William Grau, owner of Historic Urban Development, LLC, has made the repairs to the hotel’s leaking roof and treated it for mold, Hamet said. Grau has said he plans to invest $10 million in the property. Grau has until Sept. 1 to take over ownership of the Manchester Inn, according to the development agreement.

    In February, City Council voted unanimously to sell the Manchester Inn to Grau. The city purchased the Manchester for $175,000 after it closed in 2011 and forgave about $150,000 in debt as part of a bundle of downtown properties when it thought Cincinnati State Technical and Community College was going to use the Manchester for its culinary and hospitality programs as part of its Middletown branch campus.

    The city was asking $325,000 for the Manchester, but accepted Grau’s $1 offer.

Grau, who has more than 30 years in the construction, contracting and development industry, said he’s performing a feasibility study to determine the best use of the Manchester. He has said he plans to convert the hotel into catering and banquet facilities; a café and brewpub; office spaces; a large courtyard; and 60 market rate apartments that will not be Section 8 units.

    Grau said he’s never worked with Section 8 and that wasn’t his intent with the Manchester. He said the units are going to be one- and two-bedroom apartments.

    In his original plan, Grau said he wouldn’t renovate the hotel’s ballroom, which some consider the hotel’s biggest asset. But when pressed about that issue, Grau said a decision will be made based off the feasibility study to determine if it makes financial sense.

    Hamet has said that city has contacted local businesses to gauge the need for downtown hotel space.

    She called the Manchester “an important landmark” for the city and it will serve as a key component helping to move Middletown’s urban revitalization forward. The redevelopment of the Manchester, she said, has the potential to engage many elements of the community, including Cincinnati State Middletown through culinary and/or hospitality programs.

    Hamet said the city also is working on the nomination for the adjacent Dan Snider Ford building.

 

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VietVet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun 30 2014 at 11:23am
"In February, City Council voted unanimously to sell the Manchester Inn to Grau. The city purchased the Manchester for $175,000 after it closed in 2011 and forgave about $150,000 in debt as part of a bundle of downtown properties when it thought Cincinnati State Technical and Community College was going to use the Manchester for its culinary and hospitality programs as part of its Middletown branch campus.
    The city was asking $325,000 for the Manchester, but accepted Grau’s $1 offer"

WELL THERE YOU GO....WOULDN'T YOU WANT THE CITY HANDLING YOUR PERSONAL FINANCES AND RETIREMENT ACCOUNT AS YOUR PORTFOLIO MANAGER, IN THE SAME MANNER AS DESCRIBED ABOVE?

FORGIVENESS OF LOANS.....PAYING $175 THOU OF YOUR MONEY AND THEN JUST GIVING IT AWAY FOR A BUCK...CITY FINANCING 101 AT IT'S BEST!

"Hamet has said that city has contacted local businesses to gauge the need for downtown hotel space"

HOTEL SPACE FOR WHOM ????? WHAT ATTRACTION IS DOWNTOWN THAT WOULD FILL THE HOTEL ROOMS? PLEASE EXPLAIN THE OPTIMISM HERE.

"Hamet said the city also is working on the nomination for the adjacent Dan Snider Ford building"

I'M SORRY, THE "DAN SNIDER FORD" BUILDING? WHERE DID THIS REFERENCE COME FROM?

"She called the Manchester “an important landmark” for the city and it will serve as a key component helping to move Middletown’s urban revitalization forward. The redevelopment of the Manchester, she said, has the potential to engage many elements of the community, including Cincinnati State Middletown through culinary and/or hospitality programs"

I THOUGHT CINCY STATE WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE CULINARY/HOSPITALITY IDEA.....HAVE THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND OR DID HAMET FORGET THEY REJECTED THAT IDEA?

"He has said he plans to convert the hotel into catering and banquet facilities; a café and brewpub; office spaces; a large courtyard; and 60 market rate apartments that will not be Section 8 units"

AND WHAT WOULD BE THE DRAW TO ATTRACT BUYERS OF MARKET RATE APARTMENTS AND WHO WOULD OCCUPY THE OFFICE SPACES GIVEN THE CITY HAS YET TO ATTRACT EMPLOYERS ON A ROUTINE BASIS?

GIVEN THE ACTIVITY CLIMATE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA AT THIS TIME, COULD ONE CONCLUDE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT GRAU HAS PROPOSED? IF HE IS PLANNING TO INVEST 10 MILLION INTO THE HOTEL, HOW LONG WOULD ONE ANTICIPATE IT WOULD TAKE TO START OPERATING IN THE BLACK?
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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SEEKING THE TRUTH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SEEKING THE TRUTH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 01 2014 at 11:03pm
Where do I sign up to get a deal like this a million dollar Hotel from a city that is demolishing old and not so old homes before a investor can get there hands on them and rent them out because our new city manager was on the band wagon that we have to much rental property in the city so let's see now you just gave someone a hotel for a dollar and now it was stated at the Council meeting tonight the owner is turning it into apartments and now section 8 is moving out of Dougs control and just what do you think is going to fill that building there is such a demand for high end apartments in this city. The icing on the cake now the city staff has worked ever so hard to put this property on a historic register which allows the owner to get more free money to fix it up where do I sign up.
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Vivian Moon View Drop Down
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Joined: May 16 2008
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 02 2014 at 8:12am
    I know 10 million dollars sounds like a lot of money to restore this building but this structure needs to be taken all the way back to the brick walls. I believe he may spend 10 million even after he receives all the tax credits. This building is in really bad shape in some areas.
    I still do not understand the 60 market rate apartments unless this area is going to be for the elderly which is where the greatest demand is at the current time. 

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