Oread hotel on schedule for debut in February / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, July 6, 2009

Hotel on the hill taking shape

You can't help but notice the tall building going up along the Lawrence skyline as The Oread near completion in the coming months.

By Mark Fagan

July 6, 2009

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After months of work, The Oread is taking shape atop Mount Oread. The hotel is scheduled to be completed by the end of February.

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Among features lined up for inclusion in The Oread, a hotel and condominium project slated to open early next year at 1200 Oread Ave.:

Fifth floor: An outdoor patio and bar, available for rental for special events such as weddings, with room for 300 or more guests.
Lobby (main) level: Hotel lobby; a restaurant, to be called 521; and Bird Dog Bar, with outdoor seating that looks out over both 12th and Indiana streets.
Lower level (first one below ground): Ballrooms and meeting areas, including a media room with theater seating for 45 people, catering to intercollegiate athletics teams and business groups. Three features a pizza/salad bar, a spa, and a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop; each will have access from both the hotel and from Indiana Street.
Lowest level (underground, below the 200 spaces spread among three levels of parking): Dance club with room for about 300 people; adjacent bar area available for rental by businesses or other groups.

The view from up here, some 90 feet above street level, affords Casey Stewart some perspective that few others get a chance to enjoy.

“I’m so used to it now — I see it every day — but it’s still amazing,” said Stewart, a construction superintendent for DFC Co. of Lawrence LC, part of the team building The Oread at the northern edge of Kansas University’s main campus. “You can see such a long way.”

The distant sight lines — well past Sixth Street to the north, into the Wakarusa River valley to the south, De Soto to the east and down onto Mark Mangino’s football practice field to the west — won’t be ultra-exclusive visions for much longer.

Construction of The Oread remains on schedule for completion by Jan. 1, in time for operators to open their 108 hotel rooms, six condominiums, three bars, several banquet facilities, meeting rooms, retail shops and other amenities in late winter.

It’s a tall order: 113 feet, to be exact, from 12th Street to the “upper observation level,” a 900-square-foot stone deck at what is the building’s 10th floor above ground.

Including the five levels below ground — one for banquet, fitness, retail, meeting and office areas, then three more for parking and a fifth for laundry and a subterranean dance club — and it adds up to a $32 million investment.

“It will be an attraction for Lawrence,” said Nancy Longhurst, general manager for The Oread and two associated properties, The Eldridge and The Eldridge Extended, in downtown Lawrence. “We have a wonderful opportunity to showcase both the university and Lawrence.”

The project won approval at City Hall based upon a plan that limited the building height, both in terms of its actual height and its effective appearance. The building itself cannot rise beyond 114 feet above the floor at the lobby entrance; the rooftop of the seventh floor cannot surpass 105 feet.

Above that, the “floors” — a level of condos with a few outdoor terraces, plus an observation deck above and then a final, smaller deck on top — are arrayed like building blocks, gradually working inward like a pyramid to lessen their visual impact amid The Oread’s surroundings.

“It diminishes the bulk and the presence of the overall structure,” said Sandy Day, a city-county planner who analyzed the project for the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission and Lawrence City Commission.

While people may have envisioned the project as reaching only seven floors above ground, she said, levels eight, nine and 10 all were approved as part of the project’s plans.

“It wasn’t limited to the number of stories,” Day said. “It was limited to an overall dimension.”

Stewart, for his part, reports to the construction site each day welcoming the project’s challenges, including:

• Materials stored in east Lawrence, because the lot has little room for anything other than equipment and a construction trailer.

• A concrete pump that can’t reach the far end of the building, requiring workers to climb scaffolding before pouring concrete into support columns, one 5-gallon bucket at a time.

• A certain acceptance of familiarity, whereby once-extraordinary sights morph into merely pedestrian images that end up being taken for granted.

“You can look down on the hawks flying around,” Stewart said, shrugging his shoulders as an especially broad wingspan executed a smooth glide past the seventh floor. “It’s just neat.”

By February, such views will be available for visitors, guests, residents and owners of The Oread to see on a regular basis, too.

Discussion

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6 July 2009
at 12:57 p.m.

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maxcrabb (Anonymous) says…

But I want it now!
6 July 2009
at 1:15 p.m.

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Boston_Corbett (Anonymous) says…

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
6 July 2009
at 2:51 p.m.

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magnus (Anonymous) says…

Sounds like this will be a great place for the rich folks in Larrytown to hang out! Well, at least for those willing to navigate their way around all the campus traffic! What a joke!

I wonder how quickly they can clear out 300 people from an underground dance club in the event of an emergency. Whose brilliant idea was that?
6 July 2009
at 8:40 p.m.

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roggy (Anonymous) says…

Sounds amazing!
7 July 2009
at 10:20 a.m.

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flyin_squirrel (Anonymous) says…

This dance club will open right on time. I figure it should take the city about 6 more months to shut down Club 821 and then all it's patrons can move to the Oread Inn. At least now when they fire their guns in the underground parking garage the bullets will bounce around nicely…
7 July 2009
at 10:43 a.m.

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Bursting (Anonymous) says…

Sounds like a fun, good, convenient, and nice place!!! and flyin_squirrel is a wwwweeeeerdo and so is Magnus…..
7 July 2009
at 11:07 a.m.

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tcs (Anonymous) says…

So will the 3 bars only be allowed to serve beer?

7 July 2009
at 11:23 a.m.

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oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

are there still some condos left? I thought there were going to be 10 one bedrooms last time there was an article..anyway, when Jimmy John's goes down, watch for One Eye Wilbur's Hot Dogs, game day specials to be only $2.50 with all the trimmings. The Mandingo special the Perky Dog and the the Wibur 2feroneeye.

It only took Lawrence over 30 years to figure out that there is a view from the top and what a shame it has been to waste it on a bunch of campus buildings that are locked up tight at night and shuttered. This could be the new renaissance of Lawrence if the planning department and the city commission get off their duffs and look ahead to the future and don't study to death each and everything that comes along, if they do: Lawrence will die slow and painful! Month after month of discussion and referrral back for discussion. When an issue comes before them, vote on it or bring in the Mayor of Las Vegas to run Lawrence, , that city may be overbuilt but they did it fast! What is the excuse for Lawrence?
7 July 2009
at 11:36 a.m.

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flyin_squirrel (Anonymous) says…

tcs- Bars will be serving Liquor and Beer til 2 am. Should be lots of fun for the neighborhood…
7 July 2009
at 11:47 a.m.

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JackRipper (Anonymous) says…

Will new, taller, trees need to be planted around the practice fields to keep people from seeing all the top secret plays?
7 July 2009
at 11:56 a.m.

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not_holroyd (Anonymous) says…

one-eyed says: “This could be the new renaissance of Lawrence”

So the old hawkperchedbytheriver/old corncob geezer finally has a nice word about something.

Oh, but that would be if he could cash out and sell his property to a developer. He dreams about this. No wonder he is so ga-ga with the Oread. He hates tax credits and development anywhere else, but if *he* could personally benefit, whoooooooaa, lets get moving by all means.

If the County would only go up to that stretch of Louisiana street, and properly tax his under-valued undertaxed house, our budget problems would start to disappear.

Or he could move to Dalhart, where he could run for office and be King.
7 July 2009
at 11:56 a.m.

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VTHawk (Anonymous) says…

I am excited. Hopefully more attractive buildings will go up downtown/around campus on the East, rather than letting all development happen out West. The new hotel looks great, and I can't wait.
7 July 2009
at 11:57 a.m.

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LarryNative (Anonymous) says…

I find it is strange how the same neighborhood ass. that complains and passes regulations on The Hawk and The Wheel turn around and let the Fritzel's build 5 bars in one building. I can't wait to see these idiots reactions when 3,000 drunks are fighting and puking in their lawns 3 nights a week. Their home values just fell even more.
7 July 2009
at 12:12 p.m.

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JayCat_67 (Anonymous) says…

“Bars will be serving Liquor and Beer til 2 am. Should be lots of fun for the neighborhood…”

The Crossing used to be there. Whether it's hard liquor or beer, alcohol is alcohol. Plus there's still two frats up the street providing their own forms of drunken entertainment. The only difference is there will be more places to park in the underground parking garage. Just station a couple of police officers at the exits watch the city coffers fill with DUI dollars.
7 July 2009
at 12:32 p.m.

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woodenfleaeater (Anonymous) says…

Only a matter of time before a drunken college student takes flight from the roof of the building.

7 July 2009
at 1 p.m.

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Danimal (Anonymous) says…

This hotel was a stupid idea when they pitched it and a stupid idea it remains. I don't think that anyone appreciates how much congestion this is going to bring to an area already choked with traffic.
7 July 2009
at 1:10 p.m.

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Cappy (Anonymous) says…

I thought this was a bad idea. It will be an eyesore, a brazen middle finger pointing to the sky.
7 July 2009
at 2:30 p.m.

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maxcrabb (Anonymous) says…

icedoverhillon14th- Say what you want about Kansas and the drunken bar patrons, but don't characterize my fellow townies as trailer park living crooks.
7 July 2009
at 2:56 p.m.

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oneeye_wilbur (Anonymous) says…

see the skank “not_holroyd” is back too bad the skank doesn't read what he/she writes, not all is good in Lawrence skank, and as long as the status quo continues,, then skanks like “not_holroyd” willcontinue to dominate the scene of a do nothing town,

the person, that said skank refers to has always suggested that the city go up, but the folks at city hall have their heads down under with no gumption to move ahead..

under valued , under taxed property must be something that skank is jealous of, fact is, most of Lawrence is over taxed and underdeveloped.

lawrence will kill itself off as long as the neighborhood groups and skanks continue to dominate city hall,

A OneeyeWilbur Hot Dogs, would make more money than Jimmy Johns will ever make. Let's hope the hotel management doesnt allow the skanky customer to enter into the lobby to get a Jimmy Johns, but instead enters from outside. All the hotel needs to do to falter is start allowing flip flops and sloppy dress codes in the place.

with that in mind, skank i.e. 'not_holroyd” might find it more benefitting to eat in Dalhart
when Pickens gets done with his wind farms in Kansas, areas close to Dalhart will be “special”
7 July 2009
at 4:58 p.m.

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Kontum1972 (Anonymous) says…

too rich for me…Burp!
7 July 2009
at 6:14 p.m.

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jumpin_catfish (Anonymous) says…

Rich people spending money anywhere in Lawrence is a good thing.

Hope and change for all you old Lawrence townie whiners.
7 July 2009
at 7:11 p.m.

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Pilgrim2 (Anonymous) says…

Not a single post from Sven/cool/spiderman/bronze/et al.

Somebody must be on vacation.
10 July 2009
at 11:09 a.m.

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Fort_Aubrey (Anonymous) says…

I wonder how much median wages would go up if architects were required to a have a degree in architecture.

10 July 2009
at 11:19 a.m.

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classclown (Anonymous) says…

Frankly we need more tall buildings like that. All along that area. Then they can hide the blight that's behind them.
10 July 2009
at 4:52 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

well I see ol' bronzie is up to his usual obsessive posting again. what's the mind altering substance today Bronzie?

you've been thrown off this board seven times. under the letter to the editor you linked, you were Cool, and posted a massive amount of comments, all whiped clean now.

why in the world do you actually oppose this? it isn't in your neighborhood/domain like your hated LHS fields. you thought that vandalism flooding of the Oread Inn site was quite a laughing matter even though some of that resulted in injuries to workers.

***
I do wonder about the choice of the deep underground danceclub/nuclear attack bunker. maybe that's why they built it, it can be the tornado shelter for all of the rest of the building?

okay, this article fails to include the Zeppalin mooring mast on the top and the 900MHz cell phone tower that will broadcast thoughts into Bronzie's mind.
10 July 2009
at 11:29 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

what's the matter Bronzie?

aweful quiet now.
10 July 2009
at 11:57 p.m.

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notjustastudent (Anonymous) says…

If anyone has looked at the site or been by the site ever in their lives, they'll realize that the “ground” floor is only named so because the main entrance faces south towards campus. If you go to the west side and travel north, there is a downhill slope thing going on, meaning some of the underground levels will be above ground there. No trampling people to get upstairs. It's a pretty neat thing, building stuff in hills.

As far as people like icedover are concerned- get the hell out of Lawrence if you hate it so much. Seriously. No one wants you here.
15 July 2009
at 8:28 a.m.

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KU_Dude (Anonymous) says…

jkealing (Jonathan Kealing) says…

bronze-

I've warned you privately, now I'll warn you publicly. You do not have bearded_gnome's name correct. If you don't immediately cease to attempt to out an anonymous user, your account will be banned. In addition, I will immediately ban any account I suspect to be created by you without notice, warning or further cause. This is your final warning.

Jonathan Kealing
Online editor
20 July 2009
at 9:20 a.m.

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snap_pop_no_crackle (Anonymous) says…

Relax and have a popsicle, bronze. It's a cool and fruity treat on a summer day.