Tag Archives: hotels

hotels, motels

Home2 Suites instead of Candlewood Suites

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For at least the third time in about five years, a new hotel brand is line for the corner of East Milton Avenue near Lennington Street and Routes 1/9. Home2 Suites by Hilton will replace Candlewood Suites, a Holiday Inn brand, as the extended stay hotel planned for the site. The Planning Board on Tuesday night approved an amendment to a previous preliminary and final site plan that was granted in the spring.

Home2 Suites by Hilton is a mid-tier, extended stay brand by Hilton hotels, launched in January 2008. A representative of Hilton told the Planning Board that Home2 Suites is a higher-end brand than previously was approved and has higher rates and deeper market penetration. About 55 have been approved nationwide and another 50 are expected in the next year if the economy gets better, he said.

There were few changes to the site plan that gained approval in March, according to Christopher Armstrong, attorney for applicant Family Hospitality Inc. The primary difference is an indoor pool, a requirement of Hilton, he added. The previous site plan called for a 93-unit, four-story structure and prior to that the plan was to build a Sleep Inn.

While the Planning Board approved the plans Tuesday night, city planning officials still must approve specifics, including exterior colors and materials, among other things.

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taxes

Hotel tax revenue spikes

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The city realized about $22,000 more than originally budgeted for hotel tax revenues in the $42-million municipal budget that was passed last month.

The city collected $58,000 in hotel tax revenue, about 61 percent more than the $36,000 originally planned in the 2009 budget, which ends June 30. Sixth Ward Councilman Samson Steinman confirmed the increase with the city administration during last month’s public hearing on the budget. He attributed the boost in revenue from about three months of operation by Hotel Indigo at SkyView, as well as the new Best Western on Paterson Street, off Routes 1&9.

The state imposes a 5-percent hotel tax and municipalities are allowed to impose an additional levy of their own of as much as 3 percent. The hotel tax was created during the McGreevey administration in 2003 and Rahway enacted the local tax effective Nov. 1, 2003.

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hotels, Planning Board, Routes 1/9

Candlewood Suites gets final OK

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The Planning Board last night unanimously gave preliminary major and final site plan approval for a Candlewood Suites at East Milton Avenue and Routes 1/9, next to the Best Western.

Continue reading Candlewood Suites gets final OK →

Carriage City Plaza, Polls, Rahway

Carriage City Plaza tops 2008 stories

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Blog readers voted overwhelmingly for the opening of Carriage City Plaza and the Hotel Indigo as the biggest redevelopment story of 2008.

Opening of Carriage City Plaza, 54 percent (37/68)
The slow pace of redevelopment, 19 percent (13/68)
The Savoy coming to a halt, 8 percent (6/68)
Reopening of the Union County Arts Center, 8 percent (6/68)
The fast pace of redevelopment, 5 percent (4/68)
Tabulation of the Rahway Survey, 2 percent (2/68)

While most readers pointed to Carriage City, there were almost a third of them who pointed to signs of the slowing economy, like The Savoy coming to a halt and the slow pace of redevelopment. Keep in mind that the survey is far from scientific at all.

The new poll will be up after the Super Bowl. It’s a repeat from last year but we have a few more readers so I thought it’d be interesting to take another look.

“Who makes your favorite pizza in Rahway?”
Brooklyn Pizza
Gino’s
Michelino’s
Nancy’s Townhouse
Papa Vito
Rahway Pizza
Ted’s
Tony’s

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Uncategorized

HoJo likely to replace Kings Inn

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The Kings Inn motel likely will become a Howard Johnson, not a Super 8, with renovations to begin in February at the earliest and last six months. Both are brands of Wyndham Hotels and developers currently are in negotiations but expect HoJo might have more recognition in this area.

Several residents of the adjacent Riverwalk townhouse development appeared before the Planning Board last Tuesday night to question the application and remedy concerns about illicit activity at the site.

Principals of Ratan Rahway, the developer, promised that the new hotel will not accept Section 8 (welfare) housing, as is the case with the Kings Inn. As a franchise, the hotel would be expected twice a year to continue to operate under one of the Wyndham brands.

Plans are to renovate the existing rooms, along with turning the tower in a two-story structure. They expect to invest $800,000 to $900,000 in renovations. While the original two-story structure will not be razed, developers said they plan to have a new facade, roof and all new furniture and amenities in each room, along with eliminating the existing floor-to-ceiling windows, which was a concern for some residents. New fencing also will be erected between the hotel site and adjacent townhouse development.

The property (1360 Route 1/Block 304, Lots 5-6) last changed hands in 2004, when it was purchased for about $1.1 million from LTL Hotel Corp. by The Rahway Tower, LLC, according to PropertyShark.com.

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Uncategorized

A look back at 2008

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A little belated but let’s take a year-in-review look at the milestones in redevelopment during 2008. A good starting point is Mayor James Kennedy’s State of the City address last January since he’s scheduled to deliver the 2009 version during Monday night’s City Council reorganization meeting:

– Town Center negotiations were continuing and the project was “continuing to be defined.” The plans may still include some of the aspects originally proposed but the residential and retail components likely will come in phases, at last estimate, around 2013.

– Luciano’s opened and received favorable reviews, not just from readers here, but also The Star-Ledger.

– Carriage City Plaza opened in the summer. While the Hotel Indigo reportedly has enjoyed a solid occupancy rate, about 40 of the 200+ condos at SkyView have closed, and it’s unclear how many might be owner rentals.

– Park Square was to open this year but a revised timeline is looking more like March, though construction on the Main Street side of the project started in 2008. The photo below right is from January 2008, left, is from December 2008.

– The Hamilton Laundry building was finally demolished in August.

– The economic meltdown and ensuing credit crunch was enough to change two projects. Station Place and Renaissance at Rahway both received approvals last year to become rentals instead of for-sale condos.

So what does 2009 hold for Rahway? Any predictions?

You’d have to think that people will finally move into Park Square. Let’s hope that something more substantial starts happening at The Savoy. As for new shops or stores though, let’s be honest, it doesn’t look good given the retail sector and the economy in general. Who knows what’s going on with the retail space at Carriage City Plaza, where a coffee shop, dry cleaners and restaurant has always been part of the plan. In recent weeks, two more downtown spaces have closed up shop or will close: the former photo store at the corner of Irving and West Main streets and the art gallery at 89 E. Cherry St.

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hotels, motels, Routes 1/9

Sleep Inn out, Candlewood Suites in

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A long-planned hotel near the corner of Route 1 and East Milton Avenue looks like it will go through another round of changes.

The 4.4-acre site (667 E. Milton Ave./Block 338, Lot 3) already was approved for a Sleep Inn several years ago but the property changed hands earlier this year and now the plan is to bring in Candlewood Suites, an extended stay brand of Holiday Inn. The Redevelopment Agency was presented with the new concept earlier this month and owners are expected to file an application with the Planning Board as soon as possible.

The site was acquired several months ago for $2.35 million. Owners hope to break ground as soon as next spring, with construction anticipated for 10 to 12 months, taking it into the spring of 2010.

Plans still show an L-shaped building at the corner of Lennington Street with the same footprint, but the structure is four stories instead of three, with a maximum of 93 rooms. The mix of studios and one-bedrooms can be modified, such as combining two studios to create a one-bedroom.

An indoor pool and convenience store also were added to the original design, which had 72 rooms in three stories. Extended stay units also have kitchens and most clients stay an average of two to three weeks. A 8,000-square-foot restaurant is still planned but is not dependent on the hotel construction, and vice versa. The restaurant would abut the neighboring Best Western on Paterson Street with its parking lot at the corner of East Milton and Paterson Street.

The hotel site would have 90 parking spaces while the restaurant site would accommodate 42, for a total of 132. By city ordinance, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant requires one parking space for every three seats, which would meet the requirement for a 120-seat facility (40 seats).

The owners also operate the Horizon Inn on Route 1 in Avenel and told the Redevelopment Agency they already have approval for $7 million financing from Unity Bank. They would have a 10-year agreement with Candlewood which would be renewed based on performance.

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