Historic Preservation Board Approves One Center Street Hotel

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Boutique Hotel at One Center Street is Rendered “Appropriate” Last Night at Meeting of Preservation Board. It’s at the Corner of Commercial and Center Streets.

Last night Jim Brady, principal of Fathom Companies, received approval from the Historic Preservation Board for the “appropriateness for new construction” of his boutique hotel at One Center Street at the corner of Commercial Street. It was formerly a parking lot.

Plans call for a 6-story, 135-room hotel with a rooftop deck for its guests. The Board had already held three workshops in which the major topic of debate had been the sixth floor. According to an analysis of a February 6, 2019 meeting, “the proposed treatment of the building’s sixth floor and rooftop was fundamentally at odds with a key characteristic of the surrounding context….” Board members argued “that substantive design modifications would be required o resolve this outstanding concern.” A second issue was the proposed rooftop deck. It would add clutter with the addition of deck furniture, umbrellas, ec. It was eliminated in the end by Brady.

‘”The latest design modifications to the sixth-floor level represent a substantial improvement in terms of providing a a more cohesive treatment for the top floor,” wrote the Historic Preservation staff.

A statement on behalf of Greater Portland Landmarks by architect Julie Larry, went as follows in part: “Greater Portland Landmarks agrees with the staff comments that the changes to the sixth-floor level have enhanced the cohesiveness of the two rooflines and have made the proposed building more compatible with its context….We feel that the increased areas created by canting the bar wall has several benefits, it creates a stronger datum across the rooftop, strengthens the emphasis on the corner windows and provides a greater amount of shaded seating area, which we hope will mitigate the need for shading structures on the upper level of the rooftop bar.”

Historic Preservation Board members in the end said they were enthusiastic about this boutique hotel on Commercial Street that is “architecturally cohesive.” Planning Board member Ian Jacobs complimented Brady and the architect from Baskervill for the high level of details always included in its package of information. They thanked Jim Brady for being so responsive to its feedback to him.