Post Dispatch Article - "Clayton OKs hotel and garage project"

Clayton OKs hotel and garage project
By Margaret Gillerman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Jul. 09 2008

CLAYTON — Twenty years after city officials scuttled a plan for a hotel and parking garage at Maryland and Central avenues, aldermen Tuesday gave a developer their unanimous support for a similar project at the same spot.

Clayton aldermen and Mayor Linda Goldstein said they were doing what they believed was best for the city by approving the Central Maryland Hotel project and parking garage.

The board's decision followed months of opposition from residents of Old Town Clayton and from Graybar Electric, a corporation based immediately west of the proposed hotel.

Before the vote, Goldstein said that the project had "created quite a lot of emotion among neighbors ... and talk in the community at large."

She told the plan's opponents: "All of us care deeply about the community" and "we can respect each other's opinions. In my mind, I think this rezoning is long overdue."

Alderman Steve Lichtenfeld, who represents the ward, said: "This location is probably the most critical in our entire city where the residential and business communities come together."

Alderman Alex Berger, also from Ward 3, said that the project had been modified to try to accommodate critics' concerns.

The $110 million proposal by R. J. York Development includes a 23-story, 225-room hotel tower, with 40 luxury condominiums and shops, and a parking garage with shops at Maryland and Central avenues. The development, designed by Core 10 Architecture, straddles both sides of Maryland west of Central.

Many neighbors in Old Town Clayton who had packed earlier hearings showed up for another standing-room-only meeting Tuesday. They also submitted more petitions in opposition to the project.

Neighbors have said the project would result in excessive traffic, blocked sunlight, impaired safety and allow commercial zoning to encroach into their residential neighborhood.

Some residents and business people spoke in favor of the project and said downtown Clayton needed more parking.

Lawyer Jeffrey Michelman said the city needed a "beautiful hotel" for business people that would exemplify "how terrific Clayton is."

Steve Shapiro said many Clayton residents outside Old Town liked the project. "Graybar has nerve to be going against a high-rise when Graybar is a high-rise," he said. "The parking is horrible here."

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