What does the future hold for some of Akron’s aging landmarks? We look at sites like the Rubber Bowl, Blossom Music Center, and etc and wonder what is going to happen to these old and decaying sites. (Not that Blossom is decaying but it is not what it used to be)
Such a predicament was facing the city of Pontiac and their football stadium, the Silverdome!!! This 80,000 seater stadium (127 Acres) has been more or less a burden for the people of Pontiac since 2002.
The stadium was originally built in 1975 for $55.7 million. It was the former home to the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons. The stadium went to auction and the winning bidder (there were 4 bidders total) was an anonymous private Canadian real estate company. They picked it up for $583,000. (Basically $4,600/ Acre RIDIC) The company plans to use it for a soccer stadium.
For the full story, click here!
Who stays at airport hotels? I would like to think that business people who have early/ late flights are the target demographic but even then, most of them (airport hotels) are gross and people opt to stay at nicer flags vs locally owned establishments. I have had the misfortune of staying at a couple and they were all "interesting" BUT we know my feelings about most hotels; GROSS!!!
The Dayton Daily News is reporting that: Dayton International Airport will close its city-owned hotel Jan. 31, 2010, which will leave the airport without an on-site hotel for most of 2010 until a planned Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites opens by the end of 2010, the city’s aviation director said Monday, Nov. 16.
HOLIDAY INN!! HOLIDAY INN!!! HOLIDAY INN!!!!
I am not the biggest fan of Holiday Inns but it is my idea of camping and that is always fun! HA (I also like their new signs)
For the full story and what it means for the airport, click here!
Charlie 2
We inherited a pooch!! Charlie. He is a Yorkshire Terrier who is about 3 lbs and full of “personality”. I can't tell you how TOTALLY in love I am – all I do is want to hang out with my dog. I am not that girl – I have never been into pets too hard core. We had two gerbils growing up (Peanut Butter & Jelly) – I had to BEG my Dad to allow us to have them – by some miracle – he agreed. We also had a bird – Peachy – she was a parakeet and MEAN! LORD – the only person that bird liked was my mother (birds of a feather – HA) BUT – Charlie has been a total trip! I am constantly amazed at how smart, funny, and loving he is! (The Mr. & I would have never picked a Yorkie as our dog of choice. We are into bigger breeds; boxers, Great Danes, mastiffs. BUT now, we can't imagine life now without the little S***T.
Charlie is perfection. (BTW: Charlie's neck is too little for a typical collar so he has a harness (the blue thing you see) vs a muscle shirt! HA)
As we have discussed in the past, I am not the biggest Chicago fan. It is a great city but my heart is in NY and Athens. (Amazingly – Dallas has scored some space too – FABULOUS city) BUT – Apparently the powers that be at FirstMerit Bank do love Chicago or at least the possibilities it has to offer!
Crains Business Magazine is reporting that FirstMerit Bank has bought 24 branches in the Chicago area from the First Bank of St. Louis. "The deal is expected to cost $3.5 million in one-time costs. In addition to the deposits, FirstMerit will take on at least $315 million of performing loans and asset-based loans of approximately $104 million. Both transactions exclude non-performing, criticized, classified and delinquent and higher-risk loans, a statement said."
It is just more evidence that Akron is the center of the universe! For the complete story, click here!
by Tia on November 9, 2009
in Rumors
It is rumored that the Starbucks Sandrun & Market St is closing. I hope for Deville's sake that is not the case!!! No date has been given or if this store is actually closing, so lets hope not!!!
(The photo is not from that store)
by Tia on November 6, 2009
in Rumors
THESE ARE JUST RUMORS and HAVE NOT been verified!
1. There is a restaurant downtown that is going into where the irish pub (formerly The Grotto) use to be! That is excellent news, the restaurant was just about ready to go prior to its owner passing. It is supposedly scheduled to open in 2 weeks!
2. This same restaurant will open another location in West Akron – Across from Summit Mall!! Watch out Fairlawn/ Montrose - here comes some serious competition!
UPDATE: Hi All!!! As Geddy & Rob brought to my attention – one restaurant does not make for an explosion, they are correct! BUT – what I poorly wrote and should have said was that there is a local downtown restaurant opening another two locations. A pub in the Valley (where the Grotto use to be) and a restaurant located across from the mall in the Four Points. This would be 4 locations for this restaurant and for a local restaurant vs a chain – this is incredible and could be considered an explosion. WORK WITH ME!!!! Sorry for the confusion!
UPDATE II: Pub Bricco opens today!!! (11/17/09) The Mr was lucky and was invited to a pre-opening menu tasting at PB. He said it was good!!! Burgers, chicken samigaes (sandwiches), and turkey burgers – sounds a little like Metro Burger. BUT – The Mr gave it two thumbs up!
Here we go -brace yourselves – it is not pretty:
10. Jackson, Mississippi: Down 5.4%
9. Birmingham, Alabama: Down 0.4%
8. Rochester, NY: Down 0.2%
7. Toledo, OH: Down 6.4%
6. Hileah, FL: Down 0.1%
5. Dayton, OH: Down 0.7%
4. Pittsburgh, PA: Down 7.1
3. Buffalo, NY: Down 7.3%
2. Cleveland, OH: Down 9.0%
1. New Orleans: Down 35.5%
Cleveland better thank the lord for tragedy because otherwise they would be at the top of the list! I was surprised by Pittsburgh – they have had incredible economic development in that area so hopefully they will start to experience a boomerange effect. (when people leave but come back) At least Akron was not on the list!
In this economy there is no retailer that has proven to be immune to the recession, but there are some doing better than others. Being a lover of fashion – I couldn't help but wonder how these high end retailers were making their $1,200/SFPY rent? As it turns out – they aren't! Most of these companies are failing and fast BUT what was interesting is that among the mess, the mid range level designers are excelling!
It was reported in the International Herald Tribune that; The Hilfiger line, like many midrange designer brands, is growing, while other labels, notably at the high end, are struggling to hang on to market share.
Tommy Hilfiger just openned a 22,000 SF store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan! (that is the $1,200/ SF rent!) Some might call that insane – I say it is interesting. I would bet that any 5th Avenue landlord would give their right arm for a tenant like Apax Partners. The group has a proven track record of success as a lessee.
(Sales of the Tommy Hilfiger Group, a unit of Apax Partners, a private equity investment group, rose 21 percent, to $1.6 billion, for the financial year that ended March 31, according to Fred Ghering, Hilfiger’s chief executive officer. Hilfiger sales for this financial year are expected to rise in the single digits, much less than in previous years, but they will still grow in a stagnant market. For the record, a Hilfiger cocktail dress sells for $450 and a camel hair coat goes for about $750.)
Tommy Hilfiger is just example of this growing mid-range group. Brands like Tommy Hilfiger, D&G from Dolce & Gabbana, or Tory Burch, all selling below the luxury designer category, are growing now because they expanded or reorganized, repositioned collections or introduced new lucrative lines before the first signs of the recession.
I pays to know your economy and the consumer! For the full article click here!
Nicholas Cage sold his house!!! WOO HOO
Perez Hilton Reports:
It's finally off his hands!
After a number of months on the market, Nicolas Cage has managed to unload his Bel Air mansion for an amount some believe to be between $9.5 and $15 million!
Cage was originally asking $35 mil for the property, but quickly dropped the asking price to $17.5 million – even though Nic only paid $6.469 million for the mansion back in 1998!
Will the sale finally clear Cage of his $6 million debt to the IRS????
Or does the actor have even more bills looming over his head??
Good luck with that, bb!
Nicholas Cage has sold a number of his properties this year – hopefully he has something left to live in!!!!
I can't imagine slashing the price of my house by $15 Million! That is what Eddie Murphy has done in an attempt to sell his home. It has been on the market for over 5 years now! (I hope we never get there!)
Here is the full story: EDDIE MURPHY is suffering in the global economic downturn – he's been forced to slash the asking price for his home by $15 million (£10 million).
The Shrek star put his New Jersey estate on the market almost five years ago, with a price tag of $30 million (£20 million). 
The property, which boasts a bowling alley, theatre and recording studio, failed to sell – and the price has now been cut by half, according to the New York Daily News.
Real estate broker Dennis MCCormack says, "It's a beautiful house and 10 minutes from Manhattan. The home was recently renovated and I listed it three weeks ago."
Karma's a bitch! Click here for his house listing.
