Downtown Portland News - Page 18

zilfondel · #**341** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 5:07 AM**

It's called off-peak.

I flew to Europe during summer for around $800 round trip, but you can also spend upwards of $3,500 for the same seat if you don't buy it in advance.

MarkDaMan · #**342** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 6:05 PM**

...Best rumor of the week: A deal’s in the works to turn the half-empty Galleria on Southwest 10th into a five-star luxury hotel. … If so, this is truly fantastic news for downtown Portland. … The Old Ghost Mall, as the once-proud property of the Naito family has come to be known, was actually dragging down the neighborhood. If and when the deal goes through, all those vacant storefronts along Alder and Morrison, which border the Galleria to the north and south, will disappear. … Certainly, no one from the Grand Heritage Hotel Group, which is reportedly buying up the Galleria, is bothering to deny anything. … John Cullen, chief executive officer of the international hotel chain, which already owns and operates the Governor and the Avalon here in P-town, sends word through a secretary that he’ll be willing to grant a full-scale interview on the subject later this week. Sorry, John, can’t wait...
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/...27885243360900

cab · #**343** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 6:28 PM**

How will this effect the Cooking school? That has added a lot of vibrancy to the area.

65MAX · #**344** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 7:14 PM**

There's still plenty of vacant office space around there that could be converted for WCI's needs. They wouldn't have to move very far. And I'm sure the hotel would pay relocation costs since WCI probably has a long term lease.

designpdx · #**345** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 10:27 PM**

So I guess this means that Crate and Barrel will not be going in there. I know that rumor is old now.

M'sFan · #**346** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 11:40 PM**

Remember, it will only be rated Five Star once AAA or Mobil grant that status. Five Stars are earned based on performance and service, not given just because amenities appear to be deluxe.

mhays · #**347** Posted: **Dec 6, 2006, 11:56 PM**

Every hotel developer quotes the most optimistic number of stars, or flatly overstates what even they think they'll get.

Dr. Smoke · #**348** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 12:00 AM**

Hey, Portland has a Galleria, and Seattle doesn't?
(or does it?)

MarkDaMan · #**349** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 1:00 AM**

Quote:

Remember, it will only be rated Five Star once AAA or Mobil grant that status. Five Stars are earned based on performance and service, not given just because amenities appear to be deluxe.

I think most people realize this. They are like LEED ratings, developers aim for the mark but it doesn't mean it will be granted. However, in today's day the benchmarks are pretty well spelled out on what you need to do to obtain whatever star you are shooting for. In order to get bankers, you need details, and bankers aren't going to invest extra money for luxury touches in a hotel that says it want's to be a 5-star, but doesn't have a viable plan to get there.

MarkDaMan · #**350** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 1:01 AM**

Quote:

Every hotel developer quotes the most optimistic number of stars, or flatly overstates what even they think they'll get.

and this is just rumor, the developer hasn't stated anything yet, to the best of my knowledge.

M'sFan · #**351** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 1:10 AM**

I hope it works out for PDX. What is the Galleria, anyway? I've seen it on some maps and in an old guidebook listed as a mall, But when I've been downtown Portland, everyone always points me to Pioneer Place (?).

Dr. Smoke · #**352** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 1:25 AM**

{cynacism}The Galleria is a fancy-schmancy mall where rich people can go to buy Soviet medals awarded for nothing and smuggled in, and expensive clothes by designers nobody'd heard of before, and where JAPrincesses can ice-skate, as a new-age debutante ball.
{/cynacism}

zilfondel · #**353** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 9:05 AM**

I bet it'll be a Motel 6.

MarkDaMan · #**354** Posted: **Dec 7, 2006, 5:08 PM**

^Ha! that might actually be good for downtown...something people could afford to stay in besides the hostel in NW.

The Galleria used to be the 'original' Pier One Import. There used to be floors of whatever was brought off the ships that docked in Portland. It eventually morfed into a mall, and than stagnated as the Naito family fell apart and allowed their properties to fall into ruin. The Galleria now holds the Culinary Institute's Cordon Bleu program. They spent a lot of money on the state of the art classrooms, a bakery, and Cafe Bleu, a pretty upscale restaurant with culinary school prices. It's fantastic. The rest of the building is underused and has been discussed to be used as a department store (Crate and Barrel was rumored to have been close to an agreement...I also heard Bloomies had taken a gander). It would be great to gut the building and begin again.

robbobpdx · #**355** Posted: **Dec 8, 2006, 7:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkDaMan

^Ha! that might actually be good for downtown...something people could afford to stay in besides the hostel in NW.

The Galleria used to be the 'original' Pier One Import. There used to be floors of whatever was brought off the ships that docked in Portland. It eventually morfed into a mall, and than stagnated as the Naito family fell apart and allowed their properties to fall into ruin. The Galleria now holds the Culinary Institute's Cordon Bleu program. They spent a lot of money on the state of the art classrooms, a bakery, and Cafe Bleu, a pretty upscale restaurant with culinary school prices. It's fantastic. The rest of the building is underused and has been discussed to be used as a department store (Crate and Barrel was rumored to have been close to an agreement...I also heard Bloomies had taken a gander). It would be great to gut the building and begin again.

Hey, cool. Hope the hotel idea comes to pass. The Galleria has, as you pointed out, been stagnating and dragging the neighborhood down. I always thought it would be a great public market location . . . mainly for the location next to two transit lines, and because it's so open inside. In its heyday as The Galleria it was hopping, I'm told. Pioneer Place mall sort of took over after that. But I think going farther back it was a department store. I'm sure I read somewhere it was Olds and King or something like that, and then followed by Rhoades or something. This is back in the era when Montgomery Park (Way out NW, 27th & Vaughn) was a huge Montgomery Ward store. Anyway, it will be GREAT to see this come to life finally. A hotel (five star would be GREAT too) is maybe just the thing for the location too.

der Reisender · #**356** Posted: **Dec 8, 2006, 8:54 AM**

Isn't Galleria sandwiched between the two blocks that Gerding/Edlen has proposed redeveloping, the parking lot north and Yamhill garage south? If all three came to pass it would be a huge boost to the area, and hopefully they could feed off eachother's momentum to move along quicker in the process. New 400'-500' footer and a 5 star hotel would be sweet

Fruitland Guy · #**357** Posted: **Dec 8, 2006, 9:34 AM**

This page has some interesting info on the Galleria when it was the Olds, Wortman, and King department store. Other cool stuff too:
http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/olds___king.html

65MAX · #**358** Posted: **Dec 9, 2006, 12:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by robbobpdx

This is back in the era when Montgomery Park (Way out NW, 27th & Vaughn) was a huge Montgomery Ward store.

Slight correction, it used to be a warehouse for all the Montgomery Wards stores in the area.

mcbaby · #**359** Posted: **Dec 9, 2006, 6:45 AM**

used to love the galleria when i was a teenager. very charming with two cafes where goth kids would congregate and smoke cloves. would love to see it preserved in some way and not made into offices and storage. pioneer place is ok if you like malls. pioneer place 2 is very suburban ho hum and really should have had better design. not a fan.

Black Box · #**360** Posted: **Dec 9, 2006, 7:51 AM**

I don't think there is a Galleria in Seattle proper. There is one of sorts in Bellevue, but our equivalent of a Galleria (there are several througout the country), is Bellevue Square which is locally owned and operated. I know of one in Edina, MN, just south of Minneapolis and in Houston, but otherwise, I am not aware of any others. Someone, please correct me. I was never aware of the Galleria in Portland while I lived there.