The Landmarks Commission denied both the Edgewater project's request for a Certificate of Appropriateness and a Landmark Ordinance Variance, which will block progress in Hammes Co.'s plans for renovation.
The revised Edgewater plan, which needed commission approval, seeks to renovate the historic hotel, increasing the height of the hotel tower and creating a terrace space at the end of Wisconsin Avenue. The mass of the proposed construction may be outside the margins of the ordinance.
Community members spoke out against the Edgewater renovations and the variance grant. Whether or not the Edgewater project met the qualifications for a variance grant sparked much controversy. David Manfredi, lead architect on the plan, said the renovations warrant such an allowance.
A key question arose regarding the visual compatibility of the proposed construction as a part of the Mansion Hill neighborhood. Most were concerned with the large size of the proposed hotel tower.
Community member James McFadden said, ""It's too big."" The hotel needs to be a ""simpler, smaller, more cost effective structure,"" he said.
Many questioned how well the new building would blend with the historicity of the existing neighborhood.
However, Hammes Co. Director of Development Amy Supple said the new hotel would remain an ""iconic property and important part of history and of downtown.""
