A proposed student apartment complex for the State-Langdon neighborhood, which would require the demolition of three existing buildings, was met with debate at a city Landmarks Commission meeting Monday.
While the Landmarks Commission does not make binding decisions, it sends recommendations to other city development committees, such as the Plan Commission, which will review a staff report on the proposed apartment complex.
The staff report details developer Chris Houden’s proposal to demolish three buildings at 619 and 625 Henry St., as well as 145 Iota Court, to construct a seven-story student housing complex.
The three buildings marked for demolition contribute to the the State-Langdon neighborhood’s National Historic District status, which provides tax incentives for property owners in the area.
Historic districts listed in the National Register are not governed by local ordinances. Unlike local districts, properties that contribute to historic districts are eligible for tax credits for rehabilitation purposes, according to the staff report.
According to the project architect J. Randy Bruce, the proposed apartment building would occupy approximately 17,000 square feet and would be seven stories tall, including “two bonus floors” on top of the fifth floor.
While commission member Michael Rosenblum said the proposed apartment building would “overshadow” adjacent historic buildings, Bruce said the plan would compliment the neighborhood’s current architecture because of the “highly detailed” masonry included in the proposal.
A majority of the citizens and all of the Commission members opposed the proposed plan saying the building’s size would be inconsistent with other area buildings and would detract from the historic nature of the neighborhood.
Although the upper floors would not be visible from the street, people would still be able to see the fifth floor, which is taller than the majority of buildings in the area, according to Bruce.
Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, summed up the general attitude toward the proposed complex: “Nice building, wrong location.”
Adding to the general consensus, Tim Morgan commented that the size of the proposed building “puts it on scale with the Edgewater.”
The Plan Commission will review the proposal at its next meeting Dec. 17.
