The Planning Board and the Design Review Commission met earlier this month to get a preliminary peek at the plans for the former hotel on the corner of Washington Street and Broadway. Architect Dror Baldinger of Powers & Brown Architects, along with Bruce Levinsky of Merlin Development Company had to improvise when their presentation had technical difficulties, but planning board members and members of the DRC seemed pleased with this latest version of the proposed build out of the former hotel, calling it “very preliminary,” but that they “have a very positive attitude” about it.
“This project is quite a bit different than previous versions,” said Levinsky, adding that he had teamed with several local investors and Presidian Hotel Management. “Presidian has quite a pedigree in the hospitality field. They are familiar with taking an existing construction and consolidating it with the new.”
Baldinger said they looked at several factors before coming up with the plans, noting that they had looked at existing green spaces, the surrounding streetscapes and the facades along Broadway and Washington.
“On Broadway, the [buildings] connect and create long facades and while the base varies in each there are some clear similarities,” said Baldinger. “While they are not uniform, they are unified.”
He noted, though, that on Washington Street, the facades do not connect in the same pattern.
“The two new buildings will be linked together,” explained Baldinger. “That links into the urban pattern [of Washington Street.]”
The addition to the hotel will have a façade of stone, masonry and new brick and will have vertical windows in keeping with the existing look of downtown buildings. The original hotel section of the hotel was torn down a few years ago. Levinsky said it had not been used since the 1990s as a hotel.
One of the most appealing aspects of the new building will be a full sized ballroom on the sixth floor bridging the two new wings together.
“We envision the ballroom as glass,” said Baldinger. “When you are walking on Broadway there will be less impact visually and at night it will bring attention to the building. Activity breeds activity.”
Levinsky pointed out that they had also utilized architectural nuances of the Rip Van Dam and incorporated them into the new portions.
“We picked up the cornice and detailing from the original Rip Van Dam,” said Levinsky. “We recognize there are some issues with articulating an old piece of architecture with new and we want to remain sensitive to that.”
Levinsky added that while the main entrance to the building would be off of Washington Street, access would still be available through Maestro’s At the Van Dam.
He also said they want to heat the sidewalk as part of the redesign of the building and that they had spoken with the owner of the Adelphi and hope to work with them to make the streetscape uniform from one building into the next.
While several factors will still have to be worked out, such as the valet parking agreement with the owners of the Wendy’s, traffic concerns and visual impacts for all sides, board members expressed a clear approval of the preliminary plans.
“You are heading in the right direction and we are happy with it,” said planning board chair Clifford Van Wagner.
Levinsky said he hoped to break ground for the hotel by spring.
