ROGERS PARK — Ald. Joe Moore (49th) announced his support for Loyola University's plan to partner with a developer to build a six-story, 145-room hotel at Sheridan Road and Albion Avenue.
The university and Atira Hotels will seek several concessions from the Zoning Board of Appeals Friday.
"The hotel will offer Rogers Park a much-needed amenity, as our neighborhood currently lacks a quality mid-priced hotel," according to a written statement from Moore.
Plans for the hotel have been in the works for years.
Friday afternoon, Loyola and the developers will seek special-use permits for the hotel itself, its rooftop patio, accessory off-site parking and a reduction in the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required, from 31 to 20.
The proposal also will need to be approved by the Chicago Plan Commission due to its proximity to the lake, as required by the Lakefront Protection Ordinance.
Finally, about a half a block of Albion Avenue would need to be changed to a two-way street by the City Council to accommodate the hotel's planned entrance and exit and a vehicle turnaround.
The hotel, with its lobby off Albion Avenue, would be managed by Atira, which manages eight other hotels in the Chicago area.
The north side of the building, along Albion, extends six stories to 77 feet, while the east side along Sheridan only extends five stories.
Sanjeev Misra, Atira's president, had said the southwest corner of the building would only extend one story and would be capped with a green roof. The roof of the fifth story on Sheridan Road would include a terrace and event areas with lake views, he said.
The hotel would be categorized as "limited service," Misra said, and would not include a restaurant or bar. There would, however, be a fitness center and a kiosk for customers to buy prepackaged food.
Loyola University intends to maintain ownership of the first-floor commercial areas on Sheridan Road.
At a community meeting in January, many attendees supported the hotel, while some criticized the plan.
If approvals are met, Atira expects to open the hotel by late summer 2016.
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