Brookfield-based Hammes Co. is proposing a $100 million renovation of the Edgewater Hotel, which is located on the downtown Madison isthmus on the shore of Lake Mendota and near the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The project includes an 11-story hotel tower expansion bringing the total room count to about 240 rooms, and increases public access to the lake with a landscaped plaza that would overlook Lake Mendota and be connected to a street that leads directly to the state Capitol building, plus a staircase from the street to the waterfront.
The hotel was originally built in 1948 and was expanded in 1973 and for years was known as the premier hotel in Madison where several celebrities have stayed.
Hammes says the project would created 900 to 1,000 jobs during the construction and that 500 new jobs would be created from the hotel when the project is completed.
"Our goal for the redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel is to create an extraordinary destination that is uniquely Madison," said Robert P. Dunn, president of Hammes Co. "The property’s place at the intersection of downtown, the university and Lake Mendota provides us with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to create a community centerpiece that improves public access to the lake, enhances Madison’s profile as a destination city, and drives further development in our neighborhood and the rest of downtown Madison.
Hammes Co. plans to submit its redevelopment plan for the hotel to the city sometime in July. The project must be reviewed by the city’s Landmarks, Urban Design and Plan commissions and must receive final approval from the City Council.
Hammes hopes to begin construction on the project in early 2010 and complete it in early 2012.
