River North Hotel Plan Nixed Amid Developer's 'Total Indifference' To Neighbors' Concerns

By Stephen Gossett in News on May 1, 2017 6:15PM

Less than two weeks after Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) rejected a massive 60-story mixed-use venture in River North, the alderman has vocally nixed another controversial proposal as it stands for the neighborhood. Reilly has essentially put the kibosh on a 15-story hotel project—at least as it's planned—that had been pitched by Dana Hotel & Spa for the land next door after his office was flooded with “unprecedented, negative feedback” from constituents.

The proposed 178-room hotel, at 12-22 W. Erie St., and the existing Dana complex drew an outpouring of ire from residents at a community meeting in March, Reilly said in an e-newsletter to residents. Traffic is regularly backed up, often by “tour buses for music groups”—sometimes traveling the wrong way on the one-way street—shoddy handling of curbside comings and goings, and generally noisy disrespect, neighbors complained, according to Reilly’s email.

“This is truly a first,” wrote Reilly about the degree to which residents have been angered by the Hotel’s operations.

Curbed notes that the current 15-story proposal had already been reduced from a 26-story original vision—although it sounds like it could've been a two-flat and neighbors would've said no, based on the contentious relationship with Dana as is. Reilly convinced developers to bring down the size back in 2014. And community/hotel relationship had already been strained by the Dana's rooftop bar Vertigo, which was recently redone as Apogee.

We'll have to wait and see if Dana can play nice and get along with its neighbors in the future. They'll have to if they want any hope of getting the necessary zoning change to accommodate a plan of that size.

[H/T Crain's, DNAinfo]