George Henry Hotel Project - 300 Washington Avenue North / From January 6 HPC Meeting

Download Staff Report, including site plan (20MB)

Alex Haecker, on behalf of 300 Washington Ave LLC, has applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness to rehabilitate the existing building, convert it into a hotel with associated retail and restaurant space, and construct a one-story rooftop addition. The building at 300 Washington Avenue North is a contributing property in the Warehouse Historic District.

Staff recommendation: The Department of Community Planning and Economic Development recommends that the Heritage Preservation Commission adopt staff findings and approve the Certificate of Appropriateness to allow the rehabilitation of the existing building located at 300 Washington Avenue North, conversion into a hotel with associated retail and restaurant uses, and the construction of a rooftop addition in the Warehouse Historic District, subject to the following conditions:

1. By ordinance, approvals are valid for a period of two years from the date of the decision unless required permits are obtained and the action approved is substantially begun and proceeds in a continuous basis toward completion. Upon written request and for good cause, the planning director may grant up to a one year extension if the request is made in writing no later than January 6, 2017.
2. By ordinance, all approvals granted in this Certificate of Appropriateness shall remain in effect as long as all of the conditions and guarantees of such approvals are observed. Failure to comply with such conditions and guarantees shall constitute a violation of this Certificate of Appropriateness and may result in termination of the approval.
3. Any cleaning methods, masonry repair, or other alterations shall not harm the ghost signs on the west elevation of the building.
4. A more detailed masonry plan, signed by an engineer, shall be submitted to CPED for approval prior to issuance of a building permit.
5. Facade cleaning methods that are considered to be gentle, non‐abrasive methods such as a low pressure (100 psi or less) water wash shall be used.
6. Mortar joints shall only be repointed where there is evidence of a moisture problem or when a substantial amount of the mortar is missing.
7. Mortar joints shall be cleared with hand tools. The use of electric saws and hammers to remove mortar can seriously damage the adjacent brick and are inappropriate.
8. Replacement mortar shall duplicate the original mortar’s composition, color, texture, joint width, and joint profile.
9. When patching an area of historic brick wall, the new brick and mortar shall match the original brick and mortar in material, color, profile, dimension, and texture.
10. Any use of chemical treatments to remove paint or tar staining requires an agreement with CPED to test a small area, review the results, and develop an agreed upon process to complete the cleaning.
11. A material sample or specification sheet for replacement glazing for the rehabilitated windows and the glazing of the replacement windows shall be submitted to CPED for approval prior to the issuance of a building permit.
12. Original wooden loading doors on the 3^rd Avenue North façade and the north vacated alley façade shall be retained in place and preserved.
13. The guardrail for the rooftop deck shall be set back at least 15 feet from the building edge of the Washington Avenue façade.
14. The proposed rooftop patio canopy is not approved. No canopies or similar structures of significant height shall be constructed between the rooftop addition and the building edge.
15. The height of the rooftop addition shall be limited to one story and shall not exceed 14 feet in height measured from the structural roof deck of the existing building. The height includes stair and elevator penthouses and rooftop mechanical equipment proposed on top of the addition.
16. Only one primary exterior material and one color shall be utilized on the proposed rooftop addition.

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Article in The Journal

ERIC BEST : The Journal : January 9

North Loop is one step closer to seeing a new hotel development in the vacant Jackson Building.

The Heritage Preservation Commission approved plans Jan. 6 for a 126-room hotel, dubbed The George Henry Hotel project, which includes space for a roughly 6,000-square-foot restaurant and bar for the historic building at 300 Washington Ave N.

The Journal reported in August 2014 that Tim Dixon of Milwaukee-based Fe Equus Development is planning a boutique hotel concept for the 5-story, 117-year-old building since closing on it in July.

The city’s staff report shows updated plans for the project submitted by Alex Haecker of AWH Architects, which include a one-story rooftop addition for hotel amenities, a 3,150-square-foot rooftop deck and an outdoor pool. The building would also include space for retail on the first floor, meeting rooms and an atrium through its core.

The plan focuses on restoring historical elements of the building, which was designated on the National Register of Historic Places within the Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District in 1989. This historic rehabilitation includes replacing dozens of missing and broken windows, repairing the building’s crumbling masonry and other elements. Haecker, who is on the HPC and was recused from voting, specializes in historic building rehabilitation and adaptive reuse, according to his website. 

CPED staff recommend a number of conditions to the plan, mainly guiding masonry repair and the rooftop addition.

Dixon told the Journal he expects to break ground early this year and that construction will take 12 to 14 months. Plans indicate that developers will pursue federal and state historic tax credits for the project.