Quote Originally Posted by metro View Post
I was thinking about this issue yesterday. Wouldn't the downtown Sheridan and maybe even the renaissance be structurally stable enough to add floors to it as was originally planned with the Skirvin, etc. I think doubling the size of the Sheridan would be awesome. Maybe with an email campaign and the city's help this could easily be achieved.
The Renaissance definitely no, and the Sheraton probably no. These hotels have structural systems that were designed to just meet the needs of the building as they were originally designed. The building construction in the last 30-40 years has been primarly driven by economics. If the architects and engineers had suggested to Marriott hotels that they design the structure of the Renaissance to be twice as expensive to accomodate some possible future expansion in an area that has plenty of open area on which to build, the would be laughed out of the room. The Skirvin was built in a different time with different values. Buildings were more than just dollars and cents, they were a status symbol and an ego. The taller you could go, the better. And if you can't afford to go taller, you can be ready for when you can.


Like Grandpa says, "they don't build 'em like the used to."