8/17/2009 4:27:00 PM Excelsior receives Lake St. hotel plans
By Brett Stursa
It's been years since Lake Minnetonka's shores have seen a hotel.
That could change soon, as the city of Excelsior now has in its hands a proposal by Charlie James to redevelop the corner of Lake Street and Water Street into a hotel.
The application asks to build a four-story, 58 room boutique hotel, with space for a 120-seat restaurant and 850 square feet of retail.
Neil Weber, of Long Lake-based Weber Architects and Planners, submitted the application for The Excelsior Hotel to the city on Aug. 3.
"There's a market for it," said Weber, who said the economy didn't discourage them from submitting the application. "When the economy is bad is when you should be planning," he said.
The idea of building a hotel on the site was first floated by the council in 2007, when council members were generally receptive.
The property, which has been owned by the James family for more than 30 years, is the site of the former Pizza Hut building.
The existing building is 8,500 square feet, with the former Pizza Hut space occupying 3,100 square feet.
"The building and site are currently vacant as the life of the building has outlived its usefulness," the application stated.
The plans show the hotel facing Lake Street, as well as a 120-seat restaurant and 850 square feet of retail space, which would face Water Street.
The hotel lobby, restaurant and retail space would be on the first floor, hotel rooms would be on the second and third floors and the fourth level would have a 120-seat ballroom and a few rooms.
Weber wrote that the architectural design would be "in the same context of the great Lake Minnetonka mansions of years past."
He stated he looked at other boutique hotels that contributed to the community, like the Nicollet Island Inn in Minneapolis, for inspiration.
He had previously presented a concept plan to the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC), Planning Commission and City Council that included 54 rooms in four stories, including the roof level.
From feedback he received at those meetings, Weber stated in the application that he reduced the height and added more details to the facade, including a signature element.
Plans call for parking on the street level and underground parking beneath the hotel for a total 112 spaces.
The application states that the proposal meets all city requirements, except for height, which will require a variance.
Neither the architect nor the city are saying how many feet the building is according to city code. Both Weber and city staff said they are studying the issue. The city's code limits building height to 35 feet.
City staff is the process of reviewing the application to confirm it will only require a height variance. The application is not complete, according to City Manager Kristi Luger, who said the city hopes all information will be submitted by Aug. 31.
Once the application is complete, it will begin to make its way through the city process.
Luger said she suspects a public meeting will be held in September to talk about the proposal.
Luger said "given the scope of the project" they are encouraging that one is held.
By October, the proposal is expected to be reviewed by the Planning Commission. It's expected it will take several meetings before the commission offers a recommendation.
The HPC is also expected to issue a recom-
mendation, because the proposal is in a historic
district.
Luger said she expects there will be a joint meeting of the HPC and Planning Commission to discuss the proposal.
By November or December, the application should be before the City Council.
The City Council has 120 days to vote on the application after the entire application is received.
"We're hoping for approval some time in the winter," said Luger.
If all goes as planned, Weber said he hopes construction will begin next spring or summer.
