The Milwaukee Common Council is expected to vote today on an appeal by the developers for the proposed Marriott hotel in downtown Milwaukee of a setback requirement requested by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.
The developers, Jackson Street Management LLC, say the setback requirement, to push the top three floors of the building back at least 15 feet from the Milwaukee Street sidewalk, is unfeasible and would kill the project.
The $50 million, 200-room hotel project is controversial because developers want to demolish five buildings that are more than 100 years old and are within a historic district. The hotel would be built around the Johnson Bank building (which would remain), located southwest of Wisconsin Avenue and Milwaukee Street.
Jackson Street Management has agreed to preserve and restore the facades of the historic buildings along Wisconsin Avenue, but they say the facades along Milwaukee Street cannot be saved because of structural problems with the buildings.
The developers need a supermajority vote of at least 10 of the 15 members of the Common Council to overturn the Historic Preservation Commission ruling.
According to sources, several members of the Common Council have indicated support for the project, but the final vote could be close for a supermajority.
“I appreciate the endeavor that has been made to maintain the facades on Wisconsin Avenue,” said Ald. Jim Bohl, who said he will vote in favor of the project. “I think that was important. I have lesser concerns about Milwaukee Street. Wisconsin Avenue is more visible.”
“If it was a building of architectural or historic significance I would have a different view,” said Ald. Joe Dudzik, who said he will vote in favor of the project. “They are just old buildings. They’re in pretty bad shape. They’ve always been questionably maintained.”
But last week, at the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meeting, Ald. Robert Bauman said approving the project would be a violation of the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.
“So as long as the ordinance is on the books every member of this council is required to follow it, whether the media likes it or not,” he said.
Bauman and Ald. Tony Zielinski voted against the developer’s appeal at the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee, but Aldermen MIchael Murphy, Wille Wade and Jim Witkowiak voted in favor of the developer’s appeal.
One issue for some of the undecided aldermen is a desire to see a sizeable percentage of emerging business enterprise (EBE) contractors working on the project and a sizeable percentage of city residents working on the project. Representatives for the developers were meeting with aldermen to address those issues this week.
If the project is approved, construction could begin this spring, said Jackson Street Management spokesman Evan Zeppos.
The developers have agreed not to demolish any of the buildings until they have secured financing and are ready to build the hotel.
Zeppos said the developer’s financing for the project is “locked and loaded” and the deal with Marriot is “locked solid.”
Jackson Street Management principal Mark Flaherty said he has been surprised by the difficulty of the approval process for the project.
“Quite frankly if I knew it was going to be like this I wouldn’t have gone through with it,” he said.
“Keep in mind it would be impossible if you were trying to do affordable housing in Waukesha,” Murphy said. “It’s not like development is flying through in the suburbs.”
