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Bowing To Community Pressure, Developers Scale Down Old Town Hotel Project

By Mina Bloom | January 26, 2016 1:00pm
 Developers first proposed a 18-story hotel (shown on the left) and then scaled it down to 13 stories (shown on the right) to compromise with concerned neighbors.
Developers first proposed a 18-story hotel (shown on the left) and then scaled it down to 13 stories (shown on the right) to compromise with concerned neighbors.
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Chicago Development Partners

OLD TOWN — The developers behind the proposed luxury hotel on Wells Street have scaled down the height of the building in an attempt to compromise with neighbors.

At the second community meeting, Condor Partners and Chicago Development Partners presented the latest renderings, which show a 13-story hotel, down from the 18-story hotel neighbors largely opposed at the first community meeting in early December.

The developers are seeking a zoning change to build the hotel at 1528 N. Wells St., a site that is currently occupied by O'Brien's Restaurant & Bar. The current zoning designation only allows for a building that is 80 feet tall.

"The comments from the last meeting, we really did take to heart," Howard Weiner, principal of Chicago Development Partners, told neighbors at the packed meeting held in the auditorium at Franklin Fine Arts Center, 225 W. Evergreen Ave., Monday evening.


The site's current zoning designation calls for an 80-foot tall, which is shown on the top. Developers are seeking a zoning change to build a 13-story building, which is shown at the bottom for comparison. [All photos DNAinfo/Mina Bloom]


The revised proposal.

Despite the drop in height, many neighbors still opposed the project, saying it could set a "dangerous precedent" for future developments on Wells Street.

"If you don’t stand up for what the zoning laws mean now, the zoning laws are meaningless," said one resident, who received a round of applause from neighbors.

In response, Weiner said "every project exists on its own merits," reminding neighbors that the alderman has "a lot of influence" on proposals.

In order to build a hotel, he said, developers need a lot of land, which is what the owner of O'Brien's is offering them. Therefore, their proposal is "unique," meaning their hotel won't necessarily lead to more hotels in the area, he said.

Aside from the drop in height, the developers did not make any other major changes to the proposal.

The concept is the same: A "four-star" hotel with a rooftop lounge, a patisserie, meeting spaces and a new white tablecloth restaurant. O'Briens, which has called Old Town home for more than 30 years, would re-open within the hotel.

The new proposal offers up to 200 rooms, averaging 350 square feet, which is up from the originally proposed 300 square feet. The underground parking garage will have room for up to 60 spaces, which is up from the initial 58 spaces pitched to neighbors.

The project also calls for four single-family homes on the back side of the hotel on North Wieland Street, which would be 40 feet in height.


The revised proposal, viewed from across the street.

Neighbors also raised concerns over whether the hotel will worsen congestion on Wells Street. 

Since the last meeting, Weiner and his development partner have been working with a consultant on a traffic study, which illustrates that the amount of parking signs on Wells Street greatly contributes to the congestion, they said.

The signs force drivers to "travel at 5 miles per hour to read five different signs within two blocks," according to Weiner.

Weiner said he wants to work with the traffic consultant and the Old Town special service area to help come up with solutions. He named consolidating Uber pick-ups and drop-off areas as well as loading docks as possible ideas.

"This problem needs a global approach," he said.

Moving forward, the project is headed to the city's department of planning and development for approval. 

In an attempt to quell fears of some neighbors who are worried the developers will revert to the height of the first proposal without community input, Ald. Burnett Jr., whose 27th ward includes the development, said, "the planning department will not encourage them to do more," referring to increasing the height.

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