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Originally Posted by FenderOz
I just noticed that 500 Piety has no parking. Is that an issue they already got over or might that affect any final approvals? Seems like something the neighbors would care about.
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The plot thickens:
Bywater condo-turned-hotel project needs more work, city planners say
By: Andrew Valenti, Reporter July 24, 2019 0
A development proposal in Bywater that started as condos and transitioned into a hotel needs more work, according to city planners who deferred action on Tuesday.
The City Planning Commission held off on recommending approval for the project planned at 3220 Chartres St., where developers are now seeking a conditional use permit for an 18-suite hotel and commercial space. The vacant property fronts Chartres Street between Piety and Louisa streets at an entrance to Crescent Park along the Mississippi River.
The five-story hotel would offer suites with kitchenettes and living space ranging from two to four bedrooms. The rooftop area, which would be accessible to the public, would consist of a swimming pool, bars, lounging areas and outdoor dining. There would also be space for three commercial tenants on the ground floor ranging from 1,447 square feet to 1,789 square feet.
A summary of the work lists the construction value of the 67-foot-high building at $6 million. David Fuselier, one of the developers for the project, said plans are to start construction early next year.
A previous iteration of the project was the $5 million Piety on the Park, with 1,500 to 1,700-square-foot condos priced between $475,000 and $850,000 and two commercial spaces on the ground floor. That proposal received CPC approval two years ago.
Fuselier said the new version “made more sense as a long-term investment as a hotel with public amenities instead of a private condo development that would cut us off from different revenue streams.”
The CPC deferred action to its Aug. 27 meeting because staff wants the developers, listed in records as an entity known as Schoen Fuselier & Balzebre LLC, to revise height and setback requirements, add egress stairwell step-backs and comply with the minimum permeable open space.
Graham Hill of Concordia Architects, one of the architects on the project, requested the CPC vote for modified approval because the Historic District Landmarks Commission’s Architectural Review Committee granted conceptual approval for the proposed development earlier on Tuesday.
“In large part, all of the comments have been addressed,” he said. “Part of the reason the drawings didn’t make it into the staff reports was because of the submittal deadlines.”
Hill said the project would be a public asset because it would provide restrooms for individuals either going to or returning from Crescent Park. And it could encourage visitors to stay at a hotel instead of a short-term rental, he said, which have drawn criticism from some long-term residents.
But CPC members wanted staff to have more time to evaluate the project. CPC action is required because a hotel is a conditional use in the HM-MU Historic Marigny/Treme/Bywater mixed-use district. The final decision rests with the City Council.
Other developers who have partnered with Fuselier on the project include Patrick Schoen, Robert Balzebre and Andrew Coleman. Schoen is the managing partner at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home at 3827 Canal St. and has also partnered with Fuselier on other projects in the city. Balzebre has helped develop mixed-use and other commercial properties in New Orleans, Lafayette, Dallas and Miami.
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