Historic Preservation Commission to review Marriott project on Monday

At its meeting on Monday, Nov. 15, the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission is expected to review a Marriott hotel development that has been proposed for an historic block in downtown Milwaukee, according to a spokesman for the developers.
Jackson Street Management LLC, which includes Ed Carow and Mark Flaherty of Milwaukee-based hotel development firm Wave Development LLC, wants to build a 200-room, 10-story Marriott hotel wrapping around the Johnson Bank building located southwest of Wisconsin Avenue and Milwaukee Street in downtown Milwaukee.
The $50 million project will not require any city subsidy, said spokesman Evan Zeppos. However, the developers are seeking federal new markets tax credits for the project. The project would create 200 permanent jobs and 450 construction jobs, and would provide a $2.2 million annual tax revenue boost, Zeppos said.
However, the project is controversial because five buildings that are more than 100 years old and are deemed historic would be torn down to make way for the new hotel building.
If the demolition of the buildings is rejected by the Historic Preservation Commission it would take a two-thirds vote by the Common Council to overturn that ruling, according to a staff person in the Historic Preservation Commission office.
The developers say the existing building have been altered over the years and lack historic or architectural significance.