Community members voiced concerns after developers presented revised plans for the Edgewater Hotel at the City Plan Commission meeting Monday.
The developers, Hammes Co., made significant changes to the previous plan to address various concerns voiced by the community, including eliminating three stories from the hotel.
According to Robert Dunn, Hammes Co. president, they made an effort to address proposed issues without compromising the original vision.
The project will eliminate the structure built in the 1970s that currently rests at the end of Wisconsin Avenue. Hammes Co. will transform the space into a ""kind of living room for the city,"" said David Manfredi, an architect on the project.
This will involve a terrace-like opening on one side and green space intended for families, tourists and neighbors of the hotel. Two tiers, each lower and closer to the water than the next, will bring people closer to the water in the plan.
This urban space is an ""important common ground to bring a variety of people together,"" Manfredi said.
Community member John Martens urged the council to critically re-examine the legitimacy of the new proposal.
""Preserving our connection to the water front is extremely important … but the plan is grossly misleading,"" Martens said.
Ledell Zellars, another Madison resident, added her concerns about the mass and height of the projected renovation.
Other residents showed great excitement for the revised plans. Harvey Wendel said he congratulated the developers and described the renovation as a ""great benefit for our city and neighborhood.""
