After months of revisions, a hotel developer received approval from Madison’s City Council Tuesday night to begin work on a new hotel in the downtown area.
For the fourth time in the past year, the North Central Group presented plans to City Council for a new Marriott AC hotel on East Washington Avenue and North Webster Street in downtown Madison. The original plans were initially rejected by City Council and sent to the city’s Plan Commission and Urban Design Commission. Tonight, City Council finally approved the proposal.
“It’s a phenomenal fit for Madison,” Andrew Inman, director of development at North Central Group, said about the new hotel.
The new hotel will feature a tenth story bar and lounge, an espresso bar on the first floor and an art gallery that will showcase work of local artists, according to building architect Josh Wilcox.
Inman said after the first meeting with the city’s commission in September 2014, developers were forced to re-design and re-think certain aspects of the proposed hotel.
Concerns had been raised in the past about the influx of traffic in the area, but Inman said the new proposal features a redesigned parking site for arriving guests.
The Plan Commission also voiced concerns in the past about the hotel being too close to the street sidewalk. Again, after redesigning, the hotel has been pushed back 15 feet from the sidewalk. Inman also said there are plans to add a public sidewalk at no cost to the city.
The hotel also sparked controversy because it is set to be built on the same block as the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Lamp House. Various community members spoke out on this issue at tonight’s City Council Meeting.
North Central Group revises plans for new downtown hotel, may seek public funds
Madison resident Rosemary Lee spoke out in favor of the hotel, citing its job creation potential and ability to raise the property tax base in the area.
“Don’t shoot us in the foot and reject this,” Lee said. “We need this hotel.”
But Madison community member Bill Gates said he formally objected to the construction of the new hotel due to its height.
The height of the proposed hotel proved to be a point of major controversy during the meeting. The hotel violates the state’s building height restrictions, but City Council has the ability to override these restrictions, which is what happened at tonight’s meeting, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
The new hotel proposal passed with a 13-7 vote.
“It’s been a long journey to get to where we are today,” Wilcox said. “We’re very proud of what we’ve got.”
