03-05-07 Special Called Joint Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors and the La Porte City Council Minutes

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PROPERTY DESCRIPTION 111-2 Surrounding Area The subject site is well-located in relation to both business and leisure demand. The new Bayport Container Terminal and the Bayport Cruise Ship Terminal are located just four mile south of the proposed hotel site. The Bayport Industrial District is located about three miles west of the site along Fairmont Parkway, while the Battleground Industrial District along the Port of Houston is located only five to 10 miles northwest of the site along SH 225. To the north and south of Sylvan Beach along the Galveston Bay, there are several sites that could be developed into future waterfront projects. The proposed hotel would be located approximately two miles from the Bay Forest Golf Course, which ranks in the top 10 municipal courses in the Houston area, and four miles from the Houston Yacht Club. The San Jacinto Monument and Battleship Texas and the majority of the 26 Project Star sites are located within approximately 10 miles northwest of the subject property. The Johnson Space Center, Clear Lake and the Kemah Boardwalk are located about 10 miles south of the site along SH 146, while Galveston Island is approximately 40 miles to the south. RECOMMENDED FACILITIES The proposed Sylvan Beach hotel should be designed as a 250-room branded, upscale, full-service hotel. There appears to be a large amount of hotel and meeting space demand that is leaving the market area because of the lack of an upscale, full-service hotel. The subject property will be affiliated with a nationally recognized franchise to take advantage of its national marketing program, extensive reservation system and frequent traveler program. The hotel should be designed to complement the master plan for the redevelopment of Sylvan Beach and to reflect its historical heritage. The hotel needs to be oriented toward Galveston Bay with scenic views from the lobby, meeting rooms, food and beverage facilities and guestrooms. Since the Sylvan Beach Pavilion has sentimental value to the community, we recommend that the ballroom in the proposed hotel be called "The Pavilion" and be designed with a similar shape and view of Galveston Bay to provide a link with the local community. We recommend that the site be highly landscaped to maximize green space. Parking should be developed on the first two floors of the hotel to minimize surface parking and to elevate the hotel for views of Galveston Bay. We recommend 15,000 square feet of meeting space with a 7,500-square foot ballroom (The Pavilion). Since the hotel will be a popular location for wedding receptions, quincenaros and banquets, the ballroom will need to accommodate up to 500 attendees. We also recommend a smaller junior ballroom and numerous breakout rooms to accommodate corporate trade shows and meetings. An executive boardroom is included to attract corporate executive meeting demand. In addition to the hotel food and beverage facilities, we recommend that an area adjacent to