Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in downtown Jamestown

The Doubletree by Hilton hotel has filed in Chautauqua County Supreme Court to have its tax assessment lowered for its facility in downtown Jamestown.

According to the petition, the hotel located at 150 West Fourth Street has an assessment of $1.725 million on one parcel with the main parcel’s assessment at $16.275 million.

The Hotel attorneys are seeking to have that assessment reduced to $528,000 and $3.52 million.

JHS A Cappella Choir Director Norm Lydell, City of Jamestown Director of Development Vince DeJoy, JHS students: Caleb Kindberg, Dylan Lydell, Courtney Grey, City of Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi and JHS Marching Band Director Meghan Murray (photo courtesy of Jamestown Public Schools)

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown School Board Tuesday gave its approval to a trip to Florida by the Jamestown High School Marching Band in December 2019 to perform at Disney World.

According to Jamestown High School Marching Band music instructor Norm Lydell, the performance just after Christmas will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students in the band.

“This is something that’s been kind of brewing for a number of years, kind of a dream of mine to perform what’s called the ‘Candlelight Processional’ at Epcot Center,” Lydell told WRFA following the school board vote. “It’s a very special performance at the holiday time of  year and trying to coordinate a trip at Christmas time is very difficult from a fundraising and trip payment standpoint, but we took a shoot and submitted a video application and it was accepted, so we’re very excited to be going.”

To help offset the cost of the trip, it was also announced the Marching Band will hold a special fundraiser on Friday, July 19 at the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts featuring the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) performing The Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony.

Jamestown High School Marching Band director Megan Murray said bringing BPO to Jamestown will be a special event not just for the marching band, but the entire community.

“It’s nothing like we’ve ever done before so it’s a really neat, different type of fundraiser where the nice part is the kids don’t have to do the fundraising and the parents don’t have to pay anything out of pocket – unless they want to go to the concert of course,” Murray said. “It kind of helps us in that way but it also is a great community event so it brings those two worlds together, our music department and the Jamestown Community, for a nice summer night out.”

The cost of bringing the prestigious BPO to Jamestown will be provided in part with the assistance of a $50,000 grant from the Jamestown Local Development Corporation’s (JLDC) Downtown Programming Fund program, which was established with $600,000 from the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city received from the state in 2016.

“This is the first show that will actually be presented using this fund,” explained City Development Director and JLDC executive director Vince DeJoy. “The grant is made available to secure the talent for what’s going to be a fantastic show. Tickets go on sale this week and we’re just very excited about this.”

Initial details of the concert were discussed by the JLDC board at the start of February when it approved the grant for the program, although the specific details that it would be a BPO show couldn’t be made public until after the school board gave its permission for the trip to Disney World.

In addition to funding by the JLDC, the newly opened DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown has also signed on as the corporate sponsor.
Murray said if the show is sold out, the event should be able to raise an estimated $10,000 for the Marching Band and its trip to Disney World.

Tickets for the show start at $35 apiece and will go on sale at the Reg box office this morning. They can be purchased by stopping by the box office between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., by calling (716) 484-7070, or by visiting RegLenna.com.

2019 Jamestown Mayoral Candidate Eddie Sundquist addresses the crowd during a March 8 campaign rally in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – The Democrat who wants to be the next Mayor of Jamestown held a campaign kickoff rally Friday in downtown Jamestown and was joined by dozens of supporters along with other Democratic candidates for local office.

Jamestown attorney and mayoral candidate Eddie Sundquist appeared at the DoubleTree by Hilton early Friday night to officially accept the Jamestown Democratic Committee’s endorsement for the 2019 General Election and also lay out his campaign platform.

Sundquist said he wants to tap into what made Jamestown great in the past to help it move forward in the future.

“As mayor it is my goal to build on our city’s strong foundation and grow our future as we move Jamestown forward. Jamestown is an incredible city built on a proud heritage of immigrants and union workers. We’re a city with grit, unyielding resilience, and incredible potential. But like most cities across New York, we are not without our challenges,” Sundquist said.

• WATCH THE FULL SUNDQUIST SPEECH ON FACEBOOK
• RELATED: EDDIE SUNDQUIST ON WRFA’S COMMUNITY MATTERS (Feb. 28, 2019)

One of the main planks of the Sundquist vision is growing the economy and he said to do that the city must take advantage of 21st century opportunities.

“Who says that we can’t become a technology hub attracting businesses around the country with our low cost of living and rich resources? Who says we can’t wire broadband and fiber to every home and business in this city at a lower cost? Who says we can’t have some of the best parks in Western New York? Together we are creating a city with a vision,” Sundquist said.

And Sundquist said that while attracting new opportunities is important, he said it’s just as important to focus on neighborhood and community revitalization.

“No matter where you live in this city you should feel safe when sitting on your front porch at night. We must have strong, safe, and supportive neighborhoods across our city,” Sundquist said. “We need to deal head-on with the growing addiction crisis and focus on fixing our homes across this area. As we start to tear down, we must also focus on rebuilding and getting people to stay in Jamestown. Proud home ownership, not run down rentals, is the vision we have for our neighborhoods.”

Sundquist added that his goal as mayor would be to build on collaborations within the city between residents and businesses, along with other stakeholders, in order to maximize potential opportunities.

Sundquist, who has not held public office before, has had past campaign experience. In the 2018 Election he ran an unsuccessful campaign when he was among a field of five hopefuls in the bid for the Democratic nomination for Congress (which instead went to Tracy Mitrano and who eventually lost to incumbent Republican Tom Reed). It was Sunduist’s first attempt at running for public office.

In addition to thanking Democrats for their support, Sundquist also announced he has received the endorsement of the Working Families Party in the city, ensuring he will have at least two lines on the November ballot.

Last month Mayor Sam Teresi (D) announced he wasn’t going to seek a sixth term in office, which opened the door for Sundquist.

Sundquist will likely be unchallenged for the Democratic nomination, which means he will be able to focus most of his attention on the November Election. The same can’t be said for the Republican party, where two individuals are vying for the party nomination and will likely square off in a June Primary. They are the Jamestown Republican Committee’s endorsed candidate – county legislator David Wilfong, along with first-term city coucilman at large Andrew Liuzzo.

Also during the rally, several other Democratic candidates for other city offices also spoke to those in attendance, including newcomers who used the event as an opportunity to introduce themselves.  They included at Jamestown City Council Large Candidate Taylor Scott, Ward 1 candidate Tim Smeal, and Ward 2 candidate Tom Vitale. Also on hand were incumbent councilmembers Vickye James of Ward 3, Tom Nelson of Ward 6, and Tamu Graham Reinhardt for council at large.

Former council president Greg Rabb, who was not reelected in 2017, is also seeking to be reelected to the council for the third at large seat.
Both Democratic incumbents Marie Carrubba of Ward 4 and Maria Jones of Ward 5 were unable to attend due to prior commitments.

Developers from the Hamister Group and local officials gather to cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in downtown Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – The newly remodeled DoubleTree by Hilton hotel is now open for business in downtown Jamestown.

A special ribbon cutting for the hotel took place Tuesday morning with the developers joining hotel staff and local and state officials to mark the completion of a nearly $20 million development effort that took more than five years to complete.

Hamister Group chairman and CEO Mark Hamister shares his thoughts about the $19 million DoubleTree Hotel project in downtown Jamestown on March 5, 2019.

The Hamister Group out of Buffalo developed the project, which involved a total of $19 million in renovations to a building that was first built in 1979 and which had operated for more then 20 years as a Holiday Inn.

In the mid 00s the hotel became a Ramada and remained in operation until the end of 2013, when the property was purchased by the Hamisters. Since then it has undergone significant renovation to make way for its reopening as a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

The renovation work included the gutting of most of the internal space as well as replacing much of the exterior, including all windows.

Initially the group had said it would open the hotel under the new franchise in the summer of 2015. However, unanticipated delays brought forward from the State DEC meant that Hamisters would have additional unexpected renovation costs that pushed the schedule back. In addition, the group was also focused on opening another hotel in Niagara Falls – which reportedly contributed to the delay.

The cost of the project was covered by both public and private investments. Highlighting the public funding for the project was $2.4 million in state money that came out of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant the city received in 2016.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, located at 150 W. Fourth St. in Jamestown, NY

The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency also provided the project with a sales tax exemption valued at $432,000, a 15-year payment in lieu of tax agreement equating to $1.9 million and a $900,000 Al Tech loan. The project also received an additional $950,000 in loans from the Western Region Corporation Downtown Revitalization Loan Fund, the Greater Jamestown Zone Capitol Corporation, and the Jamestown Local Development Corporation.

The 147-room hotel redevelopment project includes a 4,100-square-foot ball conference room for meetings and receptions of up to 375 guests and a pub and restaurant known as Pearl City Hops.

Currently the operation employs 32 staff members and plans to exceed 50 during the busier summer season.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, located at 150 W. Fourth St. in Jamestown, has undergone more than $14 million in renovations over the past two years. It was initially expected to open in July 2018, but setbacks have resulted in a January 2019 scheduled opening.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Post-Journal says the new DoubleTree by Hilton, located on 4^th street in Jamestown, will be opening at the end of January.

According to officials with the project the opening date has been set for Tuesday, Jan. 29. Hotel officials will start off with a soft opening with a grand opening celebration planned in February.

A total of $19 million in renovations has gone toward the project, which involved upgrading and converting the former Ramada Hotel into the DoubleTree by Hilton.

City officials joined representatives from Artone and the Hamister Group for an announcement Wednesday at Artone in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – A partnership between Artone Manufacturing in Jamestown and the Hamister Group from Buffalo was announced Wednesday morning at Artone’s headquarters on Allen Street.

Artone, a local furniture company, will provide product for the Hamister Group’s DoubleTree by Hilton project in Jamestown through a $500,000 contract that features as many as 800 pieces of furniture being produced for the newly renovated hotel.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi said that the DoubleTree project on Fourth Street has become the largest private development project in recent memory and he’s pleased to see that it has included contracts with local and regional businesses.

“We’ve had a lot of large projects that have been public, public-private, and not for profit, but when it comes to straight private sector, for-profit projects, this has got to be one of the biggest – if not the largest investment ever, or at least in recent history,”Teresi said. “We’re thankful to having a quality developer here building a flagship, full service hotel and anchor project for downtown Jamestown.”

Artone president Mike Calimeri said that the contract with the Hamister group not only includes purchasing hundreds of pieces of furniture made in Jamestown, but also installation.

“One of the things that makes Artone unique is that we have an installation side to the company. So not only do we help to design and manufacture, but we coordinate logistics and we have people on site to put things in place and install, whatever that entails. So we’re working on the deliver and installation and the actual fulfillment and storage here at our factory to make that process a little easier,” Calimeri said.

Joining city officials and representatives of Artone were members of  the Hamister Group, including Hamister president and CEO Mark Hamister.

“Because of the commitment of this company to manufacture the product here in the United States and here in Jamestown NY, we’ll be able to say that the furniture in that building is American made and it is Jamestown-made, for Jamestown’s largest, full-service hotel,” Hamister noted.

The 147-room hotel redevelopment project will include a 4,100-square-foot ball conference room for meetings and receptions of up to 375 guests.

The hotel is scheduled to open by Mid November.

An an artist rendering of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN – The DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Jamestown will be opening sometime this fall.

That’s according to the Jamestown Post-Journal, which says the newly renovated hotel will be opening toward the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter this year.

The hotel – which previously was Holiday Inn and later the Ramada before being shuddered – is undergoing a $9.7 million reconstruction, with some funding coming from the $10 million grant the city received through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program.

The Hamister Group received $2.4 million from the grant, which was the highest award amount for any of the 10 projects, through the DRI program.  In addition the project was also the recipient of low interest loans from both the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency and the Jamestown Local Development Corporation.  In addition, the project has also received a Tourism Destination PILOT, Sales Tax Exemption on construction materials, and a Mortgage Recording Tax Abatement from the IDA.

The project will contain approximately 144 guest rooms – updating the swimming pool – renovating the full-service bar and grill – and updating the banquet facilities. There will be a complete and full renovation of the interior space with some updates to the exterior façade and streetscape.

It was initially projected to be completed in this past winter but various delays have pushed the timeline back to this coming fall.

The DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, located at 150 W. Fourth St. in Jamestown, has undergone more than $14 million in renovations over the past two years. It’s expected to open in July 2018. The former Ramada hotel was purchased by H. H. Jamestown, LLC (subsidiary of the Buffalo-based Hamister Group) in 2016 and has received development assistance from the city, county and state – including a $350,000 loan from the Jamestown Local Development Corporation.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council has approved the restructuring of a loan for the developers of the DoubleTree by Hilton.

On Monday night the city council unanimously approved the new terms of the  10-year, $350,000 Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC) loan for H. H. Jamestown, LLC – a single entity subsidiary of the Hamister Group, which is renovating the former Ramada Hotel at 150th W. Fourth Street in downtown Jamestown.

City Development Director Vince DeJoy, who also serves as the director of the JLDC, explained what the new terms involve.

“Basically what has been changed is some of the repayment terms on how they would pay interest and principal back, giving them the ability to be incentivized for staying in Jamestown the entire ten years. There would be a break on the principal that is owed,” DeJoy said.

Mayor Sam Teresi – who is also the chairman of the JLDC board of directors – said the restructuring was necessary after a recent Supreme Court decision ruled that the actual assessed value of the property was too high…

“Hamister Corporation – H. H. Jamestown, LLC had challenged the assessment on the property and through a court action had the assessment reduced from $3.3 million to about $1.8 million. That is going to cost the city of Jamestown about $38,000 in tax revenue,” Teresi said following the meeting. “In exchange for modifying the terms of the loan as requested by the Hamisters, they are now going to make a voluntary $38,000 payment to the city of Jamestown to hold the city harmless on the reduction of the assessment on the property.”

DeJoy said as a result of the agreement, it’s a win-win situation for both the city and the hotel developers.

“Both the city and Hamister Group came out winners in this. We’re going to get a very good project and they’re going to get better repayment terms that will help them with their cash flow,” DeJoy said.

Because the loan was more than $100,000 the city council was required to vote on it back in 2016 when it was initially approved. The council was also required to sign off on any changes to the terms and conditions that were made.

The total cost of the hotel renovation project was initially expected to be $14 million, but DeJoy said that some unforeseen challenges have driven the cost up for the developer.

The hotel building has been vacant since 2013 when the Ramada closed. It was purchased three years later by the Hamister Group in order to renovate and convert to a DoubleTree by Hilton.

As for the status of the project, the developers are hoping the hotel will be completed and open by July 1 of this year.

CONFUSION OVER RESOLUTION LEADS TO QUESTIONS, LENGTHY DISCUSSION PRIOR TO VOTE

Jamestown mayor Sam Teresi (left, back to the camera) explains to Jamestown City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo (seated right) and his fellow council members details of the proposed amendments to the JLDC loan, which was later approved unanimously by the full council.

While the city council unanimously approved the loan, it wasn’t without some concerns and questions from the council’s newest meber. Councilman Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large) questioned why the loan amendment was added as a “dummy resolution” under new business. Also, once it was introduced, he voiced concern that the council was expected to vote on it without any discussion or explanation.

Councilman Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2) introduced the resolution and said he had planned to briefly explain what it entailed but didn’t have the opportunity to before Liuzzo raised his concerns and questions. Dolce also said that all the information on the loan amendment was sent to the council members – including Liuzzo – last Friday via email, so they should have had enough information to know what the changes entailed prior to voting on it.

Mayor Teresi also pointed out to Liuzzo that the loan changes were discussed during the Feb. 5 city council work session, and Liuzzo himself had commended DeJoy and his staff for the work they did on renegotiating the terms of the loan.

Following about  ten minutes of discussion and explanation, the resolution was voted on and passed unanimously.

On the schedule will be Team USA against Belarus Wednesday (Dec. 20) at 7 p.m., followed by Belarus taking on Slovakia on Thursday (Dec. 21) at 7 p.m.

The teams feature the best hockey players under the age of 20 from each participating country, and will serve as a warm up for the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships taking place in Buffalo following the Christmas Holiday.  Several NHL first rounders will be in town for Wednesday’s game, including 8th overall selection in the 2017 Draft Casey Mittelstadt (F- Buffalo Sabres).

This will be the first time that the World Juniors have returned to Jamestown since 2010, when they played three sold-out games at what was then known as the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. Tickets are still available for both games and are $18 and $23 for Preferred Seating.

For more information, visit www.NorthwestArena.com or call 716.484.2624.