The Historic Board of Review’s final meeting of 2014 started much as it began — packed with new residential infill projects and hotel developments in various stages of design.
Developer Rockbridge Capital’s future six-story, 165-room hotel slated for 412 Williamson St., at the end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the beginning of West River Street, received unanimous approval from the board for amended design details on Wednesday.
Those refinements, presented by project architect Patrick Shay, included detailed plans for a clear glass elevator accessible to the public and granite staircase with LED-illuminated handrails that will connect River Street to Montgomery Street.
Montgomery currently ends in a steep, unpaved slope, overgrown with weeds and grass. The city will reimburse the developer for construction of the new public rights of way, much as it plans to do with developer Richard Kessler’s hotel project just across the street at the old power plant.
The project has been before the board several times since it was announced several years ago. Most recently, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted the project a variance of one story above the height map in August to allow for a rooftop bar and restaurant.
The request came after Kessler received a height map amendment from City Council over the summer to build his future four- and six-story hotels across the way.
At the time, Shay said Rockbridge had incurred significant hardship, namely blocked views, due to Kessler’s increased heights.
Shay said this project as well as Kessler’s will hopefully become integral to the fabric of downtown Savannah as West River Street and the Martin Luther King Jr. corridor continue to be revitalized.
Columbus, Ohio-based Rockbridge bought the property at 412 Williamson St. along with the neighboring Best Western at 412 West Bay St. in 2009.
The salmon pink motel still standing at the current site is scheduled for demolition. Shay estimated the timeline for construction would last through most of next year.
Steak ‘n Shake
Shay also received approval for another of his projects: a new three-story commercial building at 229 W. Congress Street, slated to house offices, retail space and a Steak ‘n Shake franchise on the ground floor.
At a previous meeting, the historic board had asked Shay to reconsider the visible awning structure on the third floor, to serve as a covered patio for the restaurant. The architect resubmitted three options for the rooftop awning, with planning staff selecting a gable canopy as the most visually compatible.
The developer of 229 W. Congress St. is listed as 229 W SNS LLC, according to property records, whose representatives purchased the parking lot for $1 million in late July from law partners Callaway, Braun, Riddle & Hughes, P.C.