Hotel Indigo at Sky View is scheduled to open June 16 and begin taking reservations starting July 15, City Administrator/Redevelopment Director Peter Pelissier said at Wednesday night’s Redevelopment Agency meeting.
Construction for the Irving-Fulton streets realignment will be completed the first week of June, with temporary paving in place for May 17’s Hot Rods and Harleys event, he said. Milling and resurfacing will take place the second week of June.
Planned retail for the hotel building includes a coffee shop, dry cleaners, fitness center and restaurant.
Interesting story in Wednesday’s Star-Ledger about the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, not for the $15,000 Springsteen tickets necessarily, but as the story put it: “The Basie’s success is especially noteworthy because many performing arts centers are struggling with declines in attendance and dramatic changes in ticket-buying patterns.” The theatre is not unlike our own Union County Performing Arts Center in terms of size and age, and both have undergone recent renovations.
Perhaps the UCPAC can adapt some lessons from Count Basie, as well as other venues, like Paper Mill Playhouse, which tried to be daring but it didn’t work out as well. It’s not uncommon for art centers to lose money, and UCPAC is no exception, but now it’s taxpayers who own it after the $6.2-million renovation and acquisition. The center also was featured in the Ledger this week, mainly for its new air conditioning, which will allow summer events.
