SkyHigh

There were only 300 people at this March for Equality. Not very successful. Pathetic, in fact.

Maybe this idea of angry protests doesn't make any sense. Out of 6 million people in DFW only 300 people showed up. A bunch of the attendees were actually reporters or non-profit organizers PAID to be there.

Maybe there is a smarter way to seek equal rights for gays. Marches don't change minds. That's the problem. Saying "we're real mad and we're not going to take it anymore" begs the question "what's next?" In another act of anger will you stop designing things? Will you stop styling our hair? Will you stop gentrifying our neighborhoods? Will you become a rude flight attendant? Will service in restaurants suffer?

See, marching and demanding is threatening and you don't have anything to happen "next." No boycott. No violence. No nothing.

Let's think of a better, smarter way to handle the very important issue of equal rights for all people. Marching around colorfully upset doesn't help anything. It isn't even fun to watch.

Victory Park IS down AND out. I feel sorry for the last few restaurants that have chosen to die a slow death.

Returning to Dallas to fail again??? 7 Restaurants have failed in Vacant Park - HRC next?

Victory Park never built the 4,000 units of housing they promised to get public financing. They never created the neighborhood. The final 6-7 retailers will be closed before the Summer.

Had Perot honored his promise to create the "critical mass" of residential - Victory Park probably would have been successful.

Broken promises have a price. Does anyone else think it's time to give the "Victory" part of the name back? Failure Park seems more appropriate.

Victory Park isn't the "epicenter" of anything.

What a mess. More restaurants/retailers are closing. The House may become a "rental" property.

I think the name Victory Park was premature. We now call it Vacant Park.

It's not the restaurant - it's the LOCATION. Victory Park is not working because the restaurants and retailers have no customers. Victory Park and the AAC were sold with the "promise" of +6,000 new residential units. They have only built 600. Victory Park won't work until it becomes a neighborhood.

NOVE and NINE at Victory Park are next. They're supposed to close in July unless Perot takes them over.

Urban retail/restaurants will never survive without people "living" nearby. Victory Park was supposed to deliver 4,000 new residential units - they've only completed about 600.

It's the same downtown - without the +10,000 residents everyone talks about, retail will be almost impossible without public subsidy. Public Market won't stay open when their subsidy runs out.

Because business is so slow in Victory Park, many of the stores and restaurants have cut back on staffing. A few retailers have closed already. It's going to be a long, hot summer for VP. They were supposed to have thousands of people living down there - I guess until that happens it will be in decline.

Hope this helps. There has been a persistent rumor that the restaurant may close. VP retailers have a had a tough time because people attending games (Mavs/Stars) haven't been shopping/dining and they don't have a residential base to count on.

If people remember, when the AAC-VP was originally negotiated 4,000 - 6,000 units of housing were promised. So far, only 600. It makes it hard for retail/entertainment businesses.

VP needs more residents to survive.

When do we get the Study regarding the Taxpayers having to fund most (60-70%) of the cost? Probably about $400 million. I'd like to see that Study.

It would be great if they actually had customers and I guess the "free-rent" incentive is over by now. I hope they can last.

Many of the retailers at Victory Park are talking of closing - without the thousands of new residential units promised by Perot, they can't survive. Mandarin Oriental being postponed doesn't help.

The developer was supposed to build 4000-6000 residential units, as part of the Master Plan(s) that persuaded the City to invest in AAC. They built 600. The retailers may have also been mis-lead.

Posted on DallasMetropolis.com by an architect:

"Sorry, had hoped by the end of January some news could be released, unfortunately, complex things take time. I can say things are continuing to move forward and can clear up two things, the owners of the building have not forgot they own it .... thought that comment was sorta funny, although I will have to say they can be difficult to negotiate with, and lastly that Kaaydah is in no way involved. I Know very little of her other than by general reputation and wont comment on that other to say she is in no way a part of the project.

Hopefully soon full announcements can be made. Also let me say thanks to a couple people on here who have helped me with some stuff and provided an offer of access to information they have on the project, ya know who you are and I will be back in touch!"

This helps at least clear up the Kaaydah involvement part, which is good news.

Just to be clear - there was no community effort to raise money and save this building? Nobody tried to secure some capital and make a deal with the Developer?

Then ... shut up. Enough, already. A small group of preservation "advocates" without any cash is very annoying. Get some money.

They have gay people in Denton? Wow, really?

Interesting comments. Did anyone in this group feel strong enough about the building to actually propose something? Maybe put your money where your mouth is?

Grow up - people buy and sell all the time, this includes old buildings.

If you were really serious maybe you should have stepped up with some cash.

CastleHills - The problem is that the stories are not true. She uses them to convince well meaning people that she has money to invest. Her former husband had the business, not her. She also shows up in numerous multi-level marketing scams. You can also find her referenced on Scam.com

I have worked with several individuals in town that she falsely claimed to be an "investor" with funds to finance projects. She took fees and then never delivered anything.

After she was dismissed from the Grand Hotel deal I checked her out. She is a receptionist at Stewart Title, not an investor. She filed bankruptcy on several companies, yet continues to show up in deals claiming to have money and "connections." If you look back far enough you'll see that see suggested the Grand become an Indian casino, but when it was researched she had no connection to any native American tribe. She refused to comment for a Dallas Morning News article.

I do believe there is a deal forthcoming for the Grand Hotel (before the end of the month) that thankfully has nothing to do with Kaaydah Schatten.

People like Kaaydah Schatten raise false hopes by claiming they want to restore an old building (how nice an they are really just trying to make broker fees on a transaction. She will say anything to make a buck. It turns out Kaaydah is just a receptionist for Stewart Title and tried to play "broker." She said she was investing her own money, but had none.

The renewal of downtown Dallas is very important - it requires vision, money and persistence. Not phony brokers with "millions" to invest. Now it appears Kaaydah-the-clown is out of the Grand Hotel and some new folks are working on a proposal. I hope they are successful. They have promised an announcement in January.

It's a shame we do not have any type of regulation for the "deal makers" who will say anything to earn a fee. Dallas deserves better.

Kaaydah Schatten never got the job with the Mayor - lucky mayor. I guess she stays at Stewart Title, answering phones.

So far, no "important announcement" either. Maybe a "real" group will come in and buy the hotel and either knock it down or fix it up. These bs false promises are not helpful.

The dirt seems to have value, the building doesn't. In my humble opinion I think it would be good to just tear it down and do a better job - build something that people want. Maybe housing. But, restoring it seems a waste of money. 8 foot ceilings are very 1950.

If you love the Hotel Grand - keep your pictures and your memories. Look forward to something even better.

The website HarwoodDallas.com is down. It's been down a few days.

Apparently, Kaaydah Schatten is now going to work for the new Mayor. Lucky him. She is supposed to be heading up the Trinity River project and the elusive Convention Center Hotel. DallasMetropolis.com reported the Grand Hotel would have an important announcement in January. I confirmed Kaaydah was no longer "involved." It seems there is a new buyer who wants to do student housing. Stay tuned.