GMU: Where Construction is Tradition

[Pikapppatri8]

why did they ever think a fancy hotel on a commuter-perceived school would ever be worth it

Well that was done under the previous administration so I am not sure. I think having on campus conference space is smart - for professional and academic gatherings. However, Mason is a residential campus now - so it does not seem that out of place.

As long as the facilities can be leveraged for other university needs - I am not too upset. Although the bar there was nice.

 

[Five Two]

Running an independent hotel is tough, especially if the location isn't on a beach or in the middle of city. I'm surprised the hotel never joined a chain. Sure, they would have paid a franchise fee, but they would have been part of the reservation/marketing/loyalty program engine that drives stays.

Can we turn the conference center portion into a basketball practice facility?

 

[EXpatriot13]

Can we turn the conference center portion into a basketball practice facility?

HAHA! yes, best idea I've heard in awhile. Someone email somebody important.

 

[GreenTeam06]

Never got a chance to go to the Mason Inn and surprised to see it go but good to know that they can convert it to a use that, quite frankly, can be more beneficial to the university.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I wonder if they will turn it into an academic building

 

[mkaufman1]

I heard it was going to be dorms.

 

[Walter]

Turning it into an honors dorm would be nice.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Mason has a shortage of on campus conference space, but the hotel did not always fill those needs very well, either. For example, the Volgenau School ended up moving their annual gala off campus because the Mason Inn ballroom just wasn't big enough.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I think they made it too fancy/too expensive. They needed to be more competitive with the rates at off-campus hotels. Staying on-campus has value to the customer, but evidently not enough to make up for the price gap.

 

[GSII]

Maybe they can turn it into a basketball practice facility??

 

[MASONscott]

Stayed there the last two homecomings with the wife and kids. Nice building, nice rooms, but was missing on several counts with services and amenities.

Ate at the bar for CBI Tournament game in the PE building, and had a horrific experience with raw food being served to someone in our group after waiting 45min to an hour for various plates.

I'm generally not too difficult to please, but I'm guessing they didn't score well on repeat business.

Most surreal experience was a couple of years ago after homecoming when the Mason swat team came in force to answer a life threatening situation that I guess turned out not to be much.

 

[gmutom]

Most surreal experience was a couple of years ago after homecoming when the Mason swat team came in force to answer a life threatening situation that I guess turned out not to be much.

I forgot all about that. I was there that night as well. I don't recall if we ever found out out why the SWAT team was there.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I ate there several times, and it was always good, but the service could be quite slow (which is probably attributable to their need to keep labor costs down). They clearly weren't doing enough business, however.

 

[Yossarian]

I will miss the friendly staff, good beer, and half-priced burgers on game days.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

If they make it into a residential hall - the restaurant may stay. Not sure about the bar though.

 

[Yossarian]

Quick update (and distraction from anxiety over tonight's game): I pinged the university to find out why I haven't seen any dirt moving along Campus Drive (the connector road between Braddock and Patriot Circle- the one that detoured traffic along Rt 123).

I didn't hear an explanation for the lack of activity, but I did get a target completion date of March, 2015, with the road being open for use in about a year (December, 2014).

I think the school had originally planned for a one-year detour for Rt 123, so I'm still not sure what really happened. Any insight on the matter is appreciated.

 

[Yossarian]

Also, prepare for a more painful detour along Rt 123 in mid-February: http://www.fairfaxva.gov/government...reek-bridge-replacement/project-notifications

This will really impact people who use Rt 123 north from campus. If you live out west, or normally take Rt 66 home from games, plan on taking Braddock Rd, or Roberts out to Rt 236 to get home from the games during construction.

 

[Yossarian]

Heads up for travel along 123 between Braddock and University Drive for tomorrow, Friday, and Monday from 9:30 am to 3 pm (2 pm Friday) each day.
http://building.gmu.edu/campus-drive-ox-roadroute-123-lane-closures/

 

[sigmanorm]

I heard it was going to be dorms.

I heard housing for international students. Not sure if that means students coming for a short stint at Mason or what.

 

[Yossarian]

Quick update on the underpass to be built under Rt 123: I saw workers moving dirt and pulling up the guard rails along 123 this morning.