Welcome to Raising St. Paul, a new online site dedicated to public input on development topics related to Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

 Some still say the Gillette building in Lowertown is so unattractive it should be torn down rather than be reused for a ballpark facility or anything else... The building above was once similar in appearance, some said tear it down, it was ugly.  Then along came Holiday Inn who bought it from Days Inn.  They added a new 'skin' to the building, then doubled the room rates!
Here's a bit more 'conceptual' information for you.  The illustrations above and below are cross-section views of the Gillette building repurposed as a ballpark-amphitheatre-multiple-use facility.  They are just part of the building's available space.  To learn more visit the Power-Point presentation on the left side of this page. 

5 comments:

Patrick Griscoll said...

Those of us who remember the Holiday Inn as it was before it became the Holiday Inn, will remember that it looked like a reduced clone of the Gillette building.
Critics have said rhat the Gillette building is just a bland facade and should be replaced. I agree that it is bland but look at the Holiday Inn again and see what can be done with just a facelift.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't the Holiday Inn, a Kelly Inn before and before that the Civic Center Inn initially? About the Gillette building you take it down and a whole lot of freeway noise is going into the heart of Lowertown. And the City and Saints say Art is going to sell in the halls of ballpark?

Patrick Driscoll said...

I doubt that art hanging in a hallway in a ballpark will bring a lot of people to Lowertown. However, a multi-use building with maybe a place that craftsmen/women, can show their work, along with a cafe, tavern, and a small store or two, will bring quite a few people in. If anyone thinks that a velodrome would not be a good idea for phase 2 try walking into the path of 6,000 bikers that will be on the road this weekend. Lets give them a real track to race on.

Bill Hosko said...

If we can look at this coming Ballpark development (whose State funding was approved today) dispationately, the Saints will be getting most of its revenue once it is open... the taxpayers of this City and State deserve a greater return on their investment than this... only a year-round facility can create the multiple revenue streams, job and attractions to best do this.

Anonymous said...

The section views are interesting. It's a big building. It would be nice if there was more to do down there.