Canad Inn floor plans
On their website, Canad Inns has just uploaded the floor plans for the new hotel, waterpark, and entertainment complex that will open this spring next to Grand Forks' Alerus Center. Check out the PDF version here or just click on the below image for a bigger version (you can zoom in on the PDF and get a very close look at the plans).
The floor plans detail every aspect of the complex's main floor. It looks like Tavern United will be located right in the front part of the hotel and will face 42nd Street. Aalto's Garden Cafe sits in the middle of the first floor, near the grand staircase leading to the upper levels. Playmaker's Gaming Lounge will be located on the west side of the building and will face I-29. The previously mentioned Garbanzo's has been replaced with a new restaurant concept: L Bistro.
Other items of note: the large arcade on the north side of the waterpark, the large "spa/fitness" area (?), and the two outdoor patios for Tavern United and L Bistro. The "Main Street" hall whichs runs east-west is also interesting. Canad has talked about building a second hotel tower west of the first tower. The "Main Street" corridor would likely extend into the second tower.
BTW, doesn't it look like the main north-south corridor which runs from the south side of the Alerus Center through the Canad complex ends at L Bistro? What about the movie theater (or whatever else they find to go north of the waterpark)...how would it be accessed from the current complex? It kind of makes me wonder if Canad is really expecting to find a tenant for the space.
This looks like quite a place!
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The movie theater plan was scratched about a year ago I thought
I don't think that there are any plans at all for anything north of it, at least not any time soon. There were a variety ideas, but nothing came to fruition.
If, at some point in the future, they decide to put something there, Canad may be expecting that it will be time for a refresh of L Bistro anyway.
I understand the remaining developments will take another year. It's my guess that the other parts may not want to be connected, or they can build a different connection point. I do like Canad's plans, can't wait to stay there.
I understand the remaining developments will take another year. It's my guess that the other parts may not want to be connected, or they can build a different connection point. I do like Canad's plans, can't wait to stay there.
A 2nd tower?
Where did you see that mentioned?
anonymous,
it has been in the future plans ever since the concept came out for the Canad Inns. (if you look at some of the early renderings, it has two towers) It is an eventuality and would only happen if there was some type of super demand for the hotel.
I don't have time to look at the PDF, and I hate to bring up the Alerus issue again but, isn't there very little meeting/banquet/convention space? The reason I ask is, was the property designed under the assumption that The Canad would take over F&B operations at The Alerus?
I don't know, I'm asking.
There isn't any meeting space shown. Yikes, more headaches for the alerus.
I'm a little confused - I thought the overall intent was to partner with Canad as a draw to to fill the existing meeting rooms and related infrastructure - and downtime - of the Alerus, not to have functions soley at the Canad Inn. By having the (Canad) amenities connected to the Al, it would be a bigger drawing card for our community owned asset.
There isn't any meeting space shown because they are connected to one of the largest and most versatile meeting facilities in the region, with its own kitchen. That's the whole point.
That's not to say canad couldn't lease the kitchen and take over F&B service. That is seemingly the current arrangement, except with a different company: Compass.
The Alerus commission could even fire compass entirely and let canad take over management of the Alerus. Canad certainly would have incentive to do a good job. Or, they could short the convention center to the benefit of the hotel.
The best arrangement is probably the current one, Compass runs the convention and F&B, which forces Canad to play nicely.
If canad would agree to an extremely low (or no) management fee to run the Alerus, it may be worth it to save the fees paid to Compass. Anybody with the numbers in front of them know what Compass gets to run the alerus? Would cutting that cost make the Alerus run closer to the black? Would cutting that cost and assuming that Canad could run F&B at the Alerus more cheaply becuase of economies of scale mean it makes sense to turn over all P&L for the Alerus to Canad, and just set up some kind of lease agreement with them?
This way, the community pays the sales tax to foot the bill on the bonds to have the amenity in town, but any operating profit/loss is assumed by canad and their hotel business. As long as you could build in some kind of facility fee fund for long term maintenance, that arrangement might make sense. This way, citizens of GF (and visitors) pay the capital cost of the building but don't have to worry about an ongoing operating subsidy.
More dreaming. Same mumbo-jumbo that landed The Alerus. Under the current configuration, Compass has no leverage to discount guest rooms as an attraction for regional conventions. Translation: The City will be subsidizing The Canads rooms in the future. More losses for The Al, and more competition for existing businesses from a city-owned business. Or, more low-balling of catering prices. Either way, more opeating losses for the Alerus.
The joint is a snufu.
Your first paragraph reads like the big shining star on the horizon voodoo. If that's the case, why when the property comes up in discussions around town, voices drop, the eyes get shifty, heads looking around...it's like they're talking about a red-headed step child?
At the very minimum, the property is was too aggressive for the market. More future nightmares.
Thanks for the rant though, I'm a dreamer also (not in this case however).
I never said it would make money. I don't think it will. I said it's the biggest and most versatile in the area. That's also the problem, it's way too big for the market... DUH! There may be spaces in Winnipeg and surely in Minneapolis, but it obviously makes more sense in those markets. Winnipeg isn't a competitor for meeting space anyways.
Just because I pointed out that Canad's trying to leverage the alerus space doesn't mean I think it's a cash cow. You're reaching for cheap shots.
The alerus will NEVER compete for national level conferences. Anyone who thinks that is an idiot. There is benefit to having regional meetings come to town, some think a tax subsidy is worth that, others don't. The problem for the alerus is that there are few regional meetings that are large enough to benefit from the versatility of the facility... so, regional meetings go to the radisson or holiday in fargo. The other options in GF are not competitive. Also, the only decent business hotel in GF is the hilton, and they have piss poor customer service, so there's a small market there as well.
The fact that compass can't work directly with the hotel is what i am getting at, its not an ideal marketing arrangement. So, if canad thinks there is money to be made here, why not let them have at it?
Coming here from Fargo I think it all sounds really great, it's about time some new ideas come into Grand Forks. With the already newer restraunts there is a little variety finally.
WDAZ just aired a brief story about the Canad Inn and its floor plans. Wonder how they thought of having a story about the floor plans? :)
:o)'DAZ proberly were up just after two this morning, checking out this blog!
Laughing here...wondering when GFG DOES get any sleep!
In response to an earlier question, Compass Facility Management got $143,020 for its management fee last year. The amount varies year-to-year depending on Alerus Center revenue (minus the hospitality tax) and how well management fulfills requirements in the balanced performance model.
The maximum Compass can get is 4.5 percent of revenue (again, minus, hospitality tax).
By the way, I don't think Canad would want to run the place because it has no expertise in concerts and other entertainment events or trade shows.
The Herald mentions the floor plans in Saturday's paper. They, too, seem to wonder how this complex would fit together with the movie theater/other tenant.
I have to say I got a little kick out of the fact that, on Friday's news, WDAZ used the jpg file I made of the floor plans. The original PDF image had overly large margins so I copied the image, reduced the margins, and saved it as a jpg file. DAZ used my version instead of the pdf version with the bigger margins. Just thought I should point that out. :)
The newly proposed "River Cinema 12" in EGF's Riverwalk Center is probably the last nail in the coffin for the now almost forgotten Canad Inn cinema proposal. At least, that's what I'm thinking.
Does anybody know where The Nad will be doing it's local business banking? I doubt it's Alerus Financial.
Anybody know?
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