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@a vat of knowledge:
Must be a pretty small vat. There are 18, yes go count, spots reserved for the Park Inn hotel. Where did you get 50?! So I would say that 16 permits equals a pretty full parking lot!! Go figure.
I hope they continue to build, including the downtown sports complex and all that goes with it. Needs to be done. Lots of money in this town, just some are too tight to spend it.
my goodness no pics of the full parking lot from lastnight!
You said “My goodness no pics of the full parking lot from last night”
Full parking lot? There’s almost 50 parking spots and there were only 16 parking permits last night. I drive by there every night on my way to work, since September. The average is two to eight cars a night. That’s not cutting it.
Someone brought up the HPI limo, taxpayers money also? Or is that owned by stoney creek?
Greentree scooters went out of business, so the fake grass & lights hanging on wires must not have helped them.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but its a shame we cant just appreciate what we have. No wonder this country is turning to crap. Id like to hear from businesses downtown. Has any of the vision iowa work helped? Im love the shops and restaurants on the plaza. Ive noticed much more foot traffic! And it IS january after all.
U guys r pathetic get a fn life losers or maybe a job
Like calling anyone, we would get the TRUTH???
why dont ya call and get the facts right from the hotel instead of wrting BS about what ya heard. You all abunch of crazy’s with nothing better to do.
Go back to the glob gazette, bro.
Real talk.
Hey Robin, Jean and Eric. Where are all of the bus loads of Japanese that you promised, havnt seen any of them yet.
I’ll tell you what Mason City’s biggest draw is, Good Shepherd nursing home, the largest nursing home in the state of Iowa. People come from all over to see their loved ones. I think the community leaders misidentified where they should’ve spent their millions.
1-9-12, only five rooms rented last night, wow.
Our wonderful HISTORIC PARK INN! What a gem right here in Mason City. Why dont all you negative people come on in and check it out, you will love it. The staff is awesome, the hotel is busy with meetings, weddings, not just hotel rooms. Alot of Businesses are using it for all their meetings and having their overnight guest stay here. Just because you dont see a car here doesnt mean the hotel rooms arent rented out. Many guests dont have cares and get rides to their companies by the HPI limo, or some rep from that company that is local.
Why would I check it out? Mason City’s turd on display, don’t think so.
SHUTTA U tr the biggest turd in the city are you on display???
I also heard that the Park Inn only alows three business to cater there too…Hy-Vee, The Quarry and Country Club…Why is that? $$$$$ Is the Park Inn funded mostly by taxpayer $ and grants? Aren’t they a member of the Chamber of Commerce? Why are other chamber business not allowed in there? Also why is it just those three?
I have also heard of wedding parties being moved elswhere because of their less than accommadating service from their management…not a good thing if you are turning away business. I think we are going backwards here!
Hy-Vee, Prime & Wine, The Hungry Mind, Ralphs. All are contracted caterers. It is a business after all. The staff at the hotel, management on down is MORE than accommodating. Get your facts straight.
I guess the real question is why is it a select few business that are allowed? I am trying to get facts straight here and all we see is someone being very defensive. Point is that other business that are members of the MC Chamber of Commerece should have just as much of a right to be there as those you just listed. Why are the not allowed?
They are allowed. The businesses that are currently contracted caterers approached the hotel to be caterers. Thats all it takes. If there is a business that wants to cater for the hotel, probably like any other catering, they have to contact the hotel. Guests choose who they want to cater their event based on menu and what the cater charges.
Seriously people. Can you not see what a gem this hotel is? And what an imporvement the streetscape has made? Even though some local people cant seem to see it PLENTY of people from all over the world see it. How about we support changes like this! The streetscape is beautiful, the library is also beautiful. Lets focus on making the rest of our city beautiful. That could be started simply with an improved attitude. Shop downtown instead of saying what a waste it is. WE make the difference here it what works and what doesnt. If you havent been inside the hotel, the library or seen the streetscape your missing out.
We can not spend ourselves into obliven. The library was way to expensive of a project as was the Park Inn.
I don’t beleive the masses abroad are going to come to Mason City to see a hotel and a library. Instead of spending these huge somes of money on pretty projects, would have been better to spend it on jobs for this town and not just 10 to 50 jobs but hundreds.
Downtown is basically dead, people will not park on the street and walk to all the stores. Watch them at Walmart or any other store, you will see people circling around the lot trying to get the front spots. They will not walk several blocks to shop anymore.
Don’t get me wrong, I used to love shopping downtown, Sam Raze’s (spelling) Golden Rule those stores carried what we needed. Go to the movie, we had no less then 3 theaters down town, but that was the downtown of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, people have changed. They wan’t everything in one convienient place not spread out over several blocks.
I’m araid to say, downtown will slowly continue to die.
….the dudes comments… “I used to love Sam Raizes….???????? W T F ??? I mean, did you just pull your head out from under a rock for the last 30 years?????????????????????????????????????
What kinda stupid comment is that?
I guess the Park Inn haters are not smart enough to figure out that it is January in North Iowa….I mean, COME ON, you have to be STUPID to think a hotel sells out to visitors in North Iowa in January? Why would it? So people can come stroll in the park with their baby and smell the flowers???????? IT’s JANUARY !
Get a clue. People like you are the reason people leave Mason City. ENJOY WAL MART, its where you belong!!!
Hmmmmmmm, places like Walmart and other large box stores are what drags customers out of down town. People used to drive down town, park and walk several blocks to shop all the stores for what they needed. No more.
Now you drive to a mall and got to the big box and buy everything made from china. So, is that good for downtown business? Not really, it’s what is killing it.
So, I don’t live under a rock. I’ve lived here all my life and have watched as downtown has died. I would rather downtown was like it used to be but that is just wishfull thinking.
I don’t hate the Park Inn, but I also don’t wan’t my tax dollars supporting it either. Same as the Southbridge Mall, we had to bail that out to. If the mall and the Park Inn can’t make it on there own then they need to close up. Why shop at Southbridge Mall? They have virtually nothing there unless your a teenager. They don’t market themselves to the working class well.
You might as well park your attitude, you are simply proving you are ignorant. People like you don’t help the fact people don’t wan’t to live in communities with rising taxes for hotels and such that can’t make it on there own.
A Strip joint would pull more income than this place. hell I bet family video does. 20 million well spent.
I’ll tell you what Mason City’s biggest draw is, Good Shepherd nursing home, the largest nursing home in the state of Iowa. People come from all over to see their loved ones. I think the community leaders misidentified where they should’ve spent their millions.
The bar should be a hoppin, but I have unfortunately discovered their customer service is awful…I can get a drink faster at any dive bar in town. If you are going to model yourself as a “high-end” bar, you better provide a “high-end” service. Shame on the management for doing a diservice to a nice community asset.
I heard about the $77 special too. Still wouldn’t stay there if my life depended on it though.
$77 rate is government rate. reserved for state employees usually. That is not the regular rate for a room or a “special”
If you live in or near Mason City, just WHY would you spend money to stay in a hotel, to stay in a hotel where you live ?!??!?!?!?
I love Iowa, the state full of Complaining Liberals.
There is no one on the council now with the nads to question anything. Expect a subsidy on the hotel and the downtown hockey rink to be jammed down our throats. Willing to bet backdoors pocket pal turncoat will bring it forward with Solberg nodding her head yes without knowing what she is voting on.
Couldn’t agree with you more, bro.
yes, we will all pay for the bill of goods we were sold. Its always easy to spend someone elses money
Nope
So. you haven’t been running a $77.00 special as was reported? Who’s lying?
This doesn’t surprise me at all. Almost any time we have been downtown at night (which isn’t much) it looks like this. Except for the mall (and that is down) and the bars there just isn’t anything to draw people downtown. Very few people can afford (or want) to stay at the Park Inn. We WILL be asked to support this even though the majority of taxpayers didn’t want it. What a waste of a street scape. At least some contractors made some money.
…..just think….without the Mall, who would be in downtown Mason City AT ALL ???? No one.
Oh, but I guess if Team Electronics and Dick’s TV, and Raizes were still there, downtown MASON CITY would be HOPPPINNN!!!!!!!!
Sold out one day, full the next… the equates to 50% occupancy… not going to cut it.
I haven’t heard a half rate special and I work directly w hotel
PLUS, they are running a nearly 1/2 rate special – shows me it isn’t doing all that well.
Funny, since taxpayers paid for it – no real financial report on how it’s doing. Don’t the taxpayers deserve a real report???
Not just a CHAMBER ‘Sugar Coated’ one!!!
Recently opened & full some of the time! With only 27 rooms, it needs to be sold out most of the time to turn a profit – let alone break even.
That’s great it’s book full some of the time, but it has to last & I am concerned that the whole thing will only fade… And, I truly hope I’m wrong!
I’m not trying to kid anyone stating a fact and it is sold out quit abit
That stupid hotel is never sold out, who are you kidding? What a joke.
U really should have been snapping pictures on Friday night when the hotel was sold out but u do get a better picture when the street is bare of the wonderful building!! It’s amazing
No cash flow here.
Doesn’t look like it will be long before the taxpayers will be paying subsity to keep this old relic open & running… totally predictable.
Either way, it sure is a pretty picture!
Sort of reminds me of the “Life after people” show that was on Discovery channel (if memory serves). But they keep telling us the economy is picking up nicely. Lets hope it does for the merchants sake.