Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Jim Decker records notes for the Trestle-to-Trestle Lodging Committee during a Tuesday meeting at Sally’s Encore at Struthers Library Theatre.

When the Trestle to Trestle Task Force’s Lodging Committee met on Tuesday, the members were hoping to set a direction.

They set out with the goals of determining if there was a need for lodging in the project footprint — between the trestles on the Allegheny River in Warren, north to Pennsylvania Avenue — and, if so, what kinds of lodging.

“There’s got to be a plan that you’re following that transcends politics, that transcends the whimsy of the day,” Bob Dilks said.

The committee discussed the virtues of a flag hotel (a major chain), Airbnb vacation rentals, boutique hotels, apartments, and cabins.

“When people come to Northwest or Warren General Hospital or even the court, they need a place to stay,” Wendy McCain said. McCain acted as host of the meeting held in Sally’s Encore at Struthers Library Theatre.

“They don’t spend all their time in the hotel,” John Hanna said.

“What kinds of rooms would we be looking to rent if we were going out of town and focused on recreating?” Whitney Youngren asked.

Addressing the needs of the city was part of the job. Helping improve the economics of the city was another.

Vince DeJoy suggested that whatever kinds of lodging are available, they should help “extend the stay” of visitors. “We need to keep them here a little longer.”

“Serve the business community,” Hanna said.

“While they are here, make it interesting and walkable,” DeJoy said. “Things that keep you engaged.”

In addition to foot traffic bringing dollars to the downtown, whatever kinds of lodging entities move in will bring tax dollars.

The group members know the downtown hotel discussion has been a contentious one.

“How much does a hotel meet our needs?” McCain asked.

“Having a flag hotel in a walkable downtown is important,” DeJoy said. “Travelers look for those flags – they get the points, they know what to expect.”

“There was a lot of pushback on the hotel because of location,” Jim Decker said. “Is a hotel, somewhere downtown” something the city needs?

“When you couch it that way, a hotel is absolutely at the top of the list,” Dilks said. “The hotel has the most gravity o f everything here. The hotel can become the destination.”

“Any hotel anywhere is not what you have to have,” he said. “The right hotel in the right place is what you want to have.”

Not within the footprint, but within a few miles, there are 245 rooms for rent, McCain said.

The idea of a boutique hotel appealed to some. Piper VanOrd said she heard a plan for turning the upper floors of the Loranger Building into boutique rooms themed on outdoor recreation. “It seems like a match to me,” she said.

“I think a boutique hotel should be a high priority,” DeJoy said, however, “it’s difficult to find a developer that’s willing to take the risk.”

Boutique hotels generally have fewer rooms available. And, they don’t have the developed infrastructure that make flag hotels popular.

“I’d rather have a hotel than a boutique hotel in our footprint,” Decker said. “The feasibility study indicated we could support a 60-room hotel.”

The committee members would like to see Airbnb opportunities, but did not see much of a need to incentivize them.

“Airbnb is going to happen organically,” Decker said.

“You could give $0 to something… but that doesn’t make it less important,” Dilks said. “It’s critical to ensure that they are nurtured if they can be nurtured.”

“I don’t think there’s room for Airbnbs in our footprint,” Hanna said. He was not opposed to the idea. “There are only three homes in our footprint,” he said. Apart from houses, the second – and higher – stories of commercial buildings could be developed for lodging. Most of those would be north of Pennsylvania Avenue – outside of the footprint.

Still, Airbnbs were generally considered worth supporting. “I don’t think you would need a huge public investment,” DeJoy said. “Supporting people that want to is important.”

While some members of the committee argued that cabins at Point Park would be a draw, others said the challenges posed by the frequent flooding of that area was too much of a problem.

While most of the discussion focused on visitors, the group did look at market-rate housing.

Dilks suggested applying the “star category” question to apartments was as appropriate as to the hotel discussion.

“We’re looking for the 4-star hotel,” he said. “We’re looking for the $1,000/month apartment.”

“The apartments he have downtown for $1,000 a month are full,” Decker said. “Not everyone is interested in buying an 1890s house.”

Whether apartments or short-term lodging, the committee wants more.

“The consensus seems to be we’d like to have more of all of it,” Decker said.

In the end, the committee members were concerned that their work might not be sufficient.

“Would we be better served to engage a hospitality professional?” Decker asked. “We’re throwing darts in the dark based on opinions.”

“We’re talking about a huge resource allocation” in the case of a hotel, Decker said. “Do we feel comfortable” moving far down the path to development “without engaging someone who can look at us with an unbiased eye? Is it worth investigating what that might cost us?”

At some point, a formal study will be needed.

If the city is going to approach a developer, it will have to provide a new study, one that is not “stale,” Decker said. “I can argue that we need a hotel in our footprint. I can’t take that to the bank.”

But, the members know that it is important that, if there is another study done and paid for, that it not “sit on a shelf,” Dilks said.