Since a portion of ticket prices are Ames entertainment taxes, what would your guess be.
CyTown Announcement - Monday 9/19 (Links in OP)
- Thread starter theshadow
- Start date
I don't really get the resistance.
First, for all the times when there isn't a game or major event why on earth are people stressing about this and its location and proximity to anything. People in this state drive to basically everything. In fact, it's about as easy to get to as anything in town. For the gamedays of course the location is great. For all the other days location is irrelevant as long as people can park a car nearby , which they will be able to do.
Similar to that, both monetarily and in terms of experience, this is WAY too valuable of real estate to be maximizing parking. If they aren't pushing it to the point of parking being a big pain in the ass, then they aren't optimizing that space.
Last, there are a lot of people that want to take part in some pre-game festivities, but don't want to actually tailgate, don't have access to a corporate tent, Sukup, etc. They would like to go down ahead of the game and hang out, grab a few beers, but there's not really a good way for them to do that. This will bring a lot more people down ahead of the games, and the atmosphere will be incredible.
I wouldn't get hung up on the name. I'm sure that one of the first things they will try to do is sell naming rights for the development.
This may actually help the walk on cold, blustery days. Having a row of buildings partially block a NW wind rather than walking across a windswept tundra may actually prove to be an improvement.
I trust the feasibility study to have figured all of this out to the best of their ability, so I’m not questioning that without the knowledge, expertise, or data to do so.
I would imagine a lot of the success of game day will depend on how the places are structured. Only so many fans can fit in a restaurant before or after a game. Do they have walk-up windows, outside seating, to-go, food trucks, vendor carts, etc? Things that allow to flex up or down according to the events, or lack thereof, of the annual cycle.
For everyday use, I would imagine how well the businesses and restaurants all complement each other will play a factor. There can be an incredibly successful business that doesn’t draw in the same type of crowd that the other businesses would thrive off, and therefore possibly not make up for it overall.
The selection of businesses will also play a role in non-game day viability. Sure, there are college students for a good portion of the year, but they don’t have the disposable income that adults do. So, finding a balance that caters to both will be key. You can’t have all high-end places, or you won’t get the students. You can’t have all low-end places, or you won’t get the adults. A healthy balance will be necessary.
These places can be very successful, but it’s going to take the right mix of businesses, proper marketing, buy-in from customers, and a healthy stream of non-game day events.
I would imagine a lot of the success of game day will depend on how the places are structured. Only so many fans can fit in a restaurant before or after a game. Do they have walk-up windows, outside seating, to-go, food trucks, vendor carts, etc? Things that allow to flex up or down according to the events, or lack thereof, of the annual cycle.
For everyday use, I would imagine how well the businesses and restaurants all complement each other will play a factor. There can be an incredibly successful business that doesn’t draw in the same type of crowd that the other businesses would thrive off, and therefore possibly not make up for it overall.
The selection of businesses will also play a role in non-game day viability. Sure, there are college students for a good portion of the year, but they don’t have the disposable income that adults do. So, finding a balance that caters to both will be key. You can’t have all high-end places, or you won’t get the students. You can’t have all low-end places, or you won’t get the adults. A healthy balance will be necessary.
These places can be very successful, but it’s going to take the right mix of businesses, proper marketing, buy-in from customers, and a healthy stream of non-game day events.
So...how can I come up with $2.5 million for a two bedroom Cytown suite? That would be badass and I'd just live there all the time.
For non-gamedays it will just depend on how well received and popular the shops and restaurants are with the community and people within driving distance. If they put things in that people don't want then people won't go.
Except for the few people that disagreed with me earlier, most realize there isn't anything in Ames that is hard to get to, you can get from one side of town to the other in like 12 minutes.
Little Taipei II
Print money....
Ames is pretty easy to navigate, but it's all relative
The idea that there is a location in Ames that’s going to tank an otherwise good business or buoy a bad one is pretty crazy. There are advantages and disadvantages to locations, but there is really nothing difficult to get to in Ames.
- Mar 27, 2006
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Absolutely agree. Throw in the location of Cytown, with its proximity to Hwy 30, central location in town, closeness to the ISU research park, and being along a commuter route, and it seems like businesses would have every opportunity to succeed on non game days. They certainly wouldn't be at any specific disadvantages compared to other locations in town.
- Mar 27, 2006
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I would throw out Legends, when it was on the top floor of that apartment building in campustown didn't do itself any favors with its location an accessibility. It was an Applebee's-esque bar and grille that had trouble attracting the non college student demographic, which is damn near required for that type of business. And their location was a big part of the problem.
Ok, I’ll give you that. But short of having to access a restaurant in an elevator that stinks of piss and vomit, there really aren’t big influences in terms of location. Everybody drives to everything, and the commute ranges from like 3-12 minutes no matter what.
Good point there. I'd forgot about that Legends on the top floor; not sure I ever went to that one.
I haven't been to campus town in years, but parking used to suck so would avoid it at all costs back in the day. Has it gotten better? Us old people (I'm 40), don't like to battle to park.
- Mar 27, 2006
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So to clarify, we're all in agreement that building Cytown on the top floor of a campustown apartment building would be a BAD idea, correct?
Any objections?
Who wants to email Pollard with our findings?
Also building it underwater only accessible via scuba diving would also be ill advised.
- Mar 27, 2006
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Fair. Active volcanoes are also a no go.
Also, should avoid rock slide areas and nuclear test sites.
- Mar 27, 2006
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