Actually we don't think architects deliberately produce seductive renderings and then secretly change the specifications. That's the developer's job. Case in point: the new Intercontinental Hotel under construction at Howard & Fifth, next to Moscone 2. This luxe conventioneer's hotel started out a pale slivery gray. Went to a deep aquamarine with gray vertical bands, and is currently going up in a brilliant Caribbean blue with even more vertical bands in white. Looking very Montego Bay, above. The curved elements at the top relate well to the nearby "Wurlitzer" Marriot- the very historical reference we've all been waiting for. By Patri Merker with Hornberger Worstell as local architects.
Offsets and an earlier rendering after the jump: the developer paid off $7.7M in "remediation" $1.39M of which goes to the Old Mint rehab.
· Rundown of San Francisco's Projects [Skyscraper Page]
· New Intercontinental Hotel [Organized Labor]
Image Credit: The Skyscraper Page
From "Organized labor"-
The mitigation agreement provides generous benefits for the surrounding neighborhood. An analysis by HMS Associates shows total remediation of $7.7 million. Mandatory offsets include$4.8 million for the jobs/housing linkage program, $430,000 for childcare, and $107,500 for school impact fees. Voluntary contributions totaled $2.32 million with support for the United Philippine Network, the South of Market Employment Center, the South of Market Health Center, the Westbay Filipino Center, and cultural center contributions. The largest voluntary contribution was $1.39 million for historic preservation, which would involve the rehabilitation of the Old Mint building on 5th Street. The offsets were deemed necessary because of the granting of conditional land uses for the higher floor area ratio and a height variance.