Sports Illustrated Resorts eyeing Ann Arbor for hotel and conference center

Sports Illustrated Resorts eyeing Ann Arbor for hotel and conference center

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Ann Arbor is in talks with Sports Illustrated Resorts about developing a sports-themed, high-rise hotel and conference center downtown.
The site at the center of those talks is the city-owned Kline Lot, a large public parking lot along Ashley Street behind a row of Main Street businesses, City Administrator Milton Dohoney confirmed in an interview Thursday, Sept. 28.

“At this point, we’re in discussions,” Dohoney said, adding there is no deal yet and the resort company is still doing its due diligence and gathering information. In a statement published by SI.com, Chris Schroeder, CEO of Sports Illustrated Resorts, said he was in serious discussions with Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan to “evaluate a potential opportunity” in the hometown of the Wolverines.



“Ann Arbor has become a great destination for locals, visitors and conference attendees that increase hotel stays and improve economic vitality to retailers and restaurants,” he said. “Sports Illustrated Resorts would be an added attraction that would help drive more visitation, plus we would be focused on including a significant conference facility that would allow Ann Arbor to compete with other cities that have more conference capabilities.”

The company is commissioning an analysis with Destination Ann Arbor to collect additional data on the economic impacts and plans to provide more details once that’s done.

In a social media post on Thursday, the city called it “exciting news for Ann Arbor.”

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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ce-center.html

This is the kind of thing that the Ilitch Family should have attracted to the District Detroit. I can't believe that 'District Detroit' is still referenced in Red Wings' radio broadcasts.

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Originally Posted by masterblaster

This is the kind of thing that the Ilitch Family should have attracted to the District Detroit. I can't believe that 'District Detroit' is still referenced in Red Wings' radio broadcasts.

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I don't disagree. But it's clear they are targeting college towns. Tuscaloosa [[University of Alabama) is on their short list.

This whole concept seems very strange, especially after reading the CoStar article linked below.

The crowd that has an affinity for the Sports Illustrated brand, to me at least, is the beer drinking, face painting, blue collar bleacher creature. They also probably have 3 or 4 pro teams they follow, and maybe 1 college team. They are NOT the mountain biking, windsurfing, "active lifestyle" individual they are claiming to target with these resorts. As is, I see this as a concept that fails hard and fast.

https://www.costar.com/article/13437...rsity-campuses

On the flip side though, a SI branded hotel, geared towards pro sports fans and with come cooperation of pro franchises seems like it could be a win in certain markets.

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Originally Posted by K-slice

This whole concept seems very strange, especially after reading the CoStar article linked below.

The crowd that has an affinity for the Sports Illustrated brand, to me at least, is the beer drinking, face painting, blue collar bleacher creature. They also probably have 3 or 4 pro teams they follow, and maybe 1 college team. They are NOT the mountain biking, windsurfing, "active lifestyle" individual they are claiming to target with these resorts. As is, I see this as a concept that fails hard and fast.

https://www.costar.com/article/13437...rsity-campuses

On the flip side though, a SI branded hotel, geared towards pro sports fans and with come cooperation of pro franchises seems like it could be a win in certain markets.

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What can you expect from a culture that is dominated by a wise old coots and fresh new graduates in business and commerce that have been taught to milk "branding" for all it’s worth?

They have to convince themselves that they have a good plan, following market studies and all that stuff, and either it works or it doesn’t. I wish them luck. The world needs more resorts of all stripes.

Sports Illustrated, like pretty much all print media, is a dying brand. It probably would have no recognition in the under 30 group if not for the Swimsuit edition. Even that has become politically correct with its old and fat models. Martha Stewart, seriously? I bet a lot of guys ran to the newstand to "get them some of that."

curious. we'll see how this works out. or not.