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A city commission sent back plans for the construction of a hotel located close to the University of Wisconsin campus in hopes of a more metropolitan design at a public meeting Wednesday.

The Urban Design Commission expressed concern that early plans for a Hampton Inn on the corner of North Bassett and West Johnson Streets would not live up to the commission’s expectations for a building that would be more urban in design.

Jeff Kraemer, a representative for the Raymond Management Company, said the the plans the group presented at Wednesday’s meeting would replace their original proposal to put a dual-tower hotel and student housing complex in the area.

Richard Slayton, UDC board member, said the corner of Bassett and Johnson is in need of something “special” to live up to its potential – he said he envisions exciting possibilities similar in part to Chicago’s grandeur.

“This is a special site – a great place,” Slayton said. “I think [interaction with the community] is what’s important for this site.”

Other members of the board mentioned the need for a large-scale urban gesture as well, indicating visual interest is necessary for the site. Slayton said the original plans were more favorable for their metropolitan possibilities because they consisted of two tall towers in comparison to the shorter, wider stature of the new plan.

The proposal detailed a nine-story hotel containing first-floor commercial space and elevated parking. The first floor would also house the public components of the hotel and limited meeting space. According to a statement from Gary Brink, the project’s architect, there will be 195 guest rooms, almost 3,000 square feet of commercial space and 142 parking stalls.

Kraemer said the project was altered from its original intent as a multi-use building containing both guest and residence areas that was proposed last May because the necessary parking would have been an issue and the management group was unable to find a suitable partner for the project.

A number of UDC members also suggested the plans should include a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and stressed the necessity of bike stalls in the parking lots. The plan needs to reflect how exciting that site can be, Slayton said.

The board also said more detailed plans were needed before the board could understand the proposal enough to pass it on to the next level of the city planning process. The board said it needed eye-level and dashboard views before it could move forward.

Kraemer said more adjustments to the hotel plan and further layouts would come in the future alongside more formal proposals, but said the company had not set an exact timeline yet.

Kraemer said the feedback was fairly positive overall, and the company still has plenty of time for fine-tuning.

“Comments and suggestions made by the UDC were absolutely excellent.” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 6, said. “I was very pleased with the discussion.”

The management group will receive further feedback at a neighborhood downtown meeting Feb. 21. Verveer said he hopes to get valuable feedback from area residents at the meeting. Discussion will also include thoughts on the future demolition of the houses on the corner of Bassett and Johnson.