Hammes withdrew its attempts to gain city committee approvals for the redevelopment in September, taking the time to meet with concerned residents and parties and to seek other possible redesigns of the project.
The response from Monday’s attendees reflected those of past concerns from community members, including the height of the new tower and the preservation of the Mansion Hill Historic District.
Hammes President Bob Dunn presented an overview of the current plans for the project, fielded questions and responded to concerns with current plans.
“Over the last three or four months, we have really focused on trying to harness these issues and understand them to see if we can come up with creative solutions,” Dunn said.
The purpose of the meeting, Dunn said, was to hear from community members outside of Mansion Hill, a neighborhood with which Hammes has frequently consulted.
Currently, the $107 million project includes expanding to 228 rooms and building a 346-space parking structure. Other additions include building a public plaza, two restaurants, a cafe, a spa and fitness facilities.
Hammes also hopes to restore the Edgewater’s original building, which was constructed in the 1940s. Adding onto the structure while preserving its character will be one of the “greatest challenges” for the project, Dunn said.
A recurring issue throughout the meeting was the height of the hotel, which just meets the Capitol height limit. Dunn addressed these concerns by stressing that Hammes continues to “look very seriously” at the hotel’s height.
Former University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley was present at the meeting and threw his support behind the project, speaking specifically of its benefits to the university in hosting large conferences.
“I think what you’ve proposed looks far better than what is there now,” Wiley said. “I can see Edgewater reconfigured as something that would be a huge draw.”
Others supported the plan because it will provide an improved public space and access to the lakefront.
The project is estimated to create up to 1,000 construction jobs and 500 to 525 permanent jobs, according to Dunn. Furthermore, the hotel will generate $40 million of new taxes in under 10 years.
Mansion Hill Steering Committee members were present at the listening session and voiced concerns with the project, including member Fred Mohs, who said that although the hotel falls within city ordinance, it does not fit in with the aesthetic character of the historic district,
“This is a great, big concrete building towering over everything,” Mohs said, adding the hotel will set a precedent of pushing building restrictions for future projects in the neighborhood.
As it currently stands, Mohs said he thinks the Edgewater plan is not ready to move forward.
“We would love to see this work,” Mohs said. “The problem with this is [Dunn] wants to do more on this site than will fit.”
Hammes will hold an additional listening session for community members Nov. 5 and has shown no sign of bringing its plans before city committees in the near future.
