Review board questions Edgewater TIF plan (The Wisconsin State ...
HotelOnline.com
The Hammes Co. wants to restore the 1946 Edgewater, cut the size of a 1970s addition and build a public terrace atop it, and erect a nine-story hotel and ...

Tuesday, August 31
Dane County Parks: Tenney Lock hours extended for 2nd annual Dane ...
Wisbusiness.com
Evening fireworks will be presented from the Edgewater Hotel and centered between the Memorial Union and James Madison Park For more information regarding ...

Monday, August 30
Monday Morning Round Up
Forward Lookout
Now we have an obscure tax district panel throwing up yet another roadblock to the Edgewater hotel redevelopment. Will the bureaucratic obstacle course in Madison never end for this $98 million, job-creating, tax-base expanding, ...

Sunday, August 29
Doug Moe: Caper? Long con? No, just a work of art
Wisconsin State Journal
It begins late in the afternoon of March 6, 2009, in the Cove Lounge of the Edgewater Hotel. The agent came from New York City to discuss buying a film ...

Saturday, August 28
CG Schmidt: Hires Sarah Dunn Carpenter
Wisbusiness.com
... Hammes Company managing the marketing, public relations and community engagement functions for the $100 million redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel.

Madison Hotels: Expert Reviews & Rankings
Bestcovery
The Luxurious Edgewater Hotel Is A Popular Boutique Hotel Overlooking Beautiful Lake Mendota And Within Walking Distance Of The State Capitol, University Of ...

Friday, August 27
Review board questions Edgewater TIF plan
Madison.com
The Hammes Co. wants to restore the 1946 Edgewater, cut the size of a 1970s addition and build a public terrace atop it, and erect a nine-story hotel and ...

Let Edgewater boost tax base
Wisconsin State Journal
State Journal archives Now we have an obscure tax district panel throwing up yet another roadblock to the Edgewater hotel redevelopment.

Thursday, August 26
Edgewater funding in danger
Wisconsin State Journal
She also is not convinced an Edgewater redevelopment wouldn't happen without a TIF loan. Worzala wants more information on the effect of condos in the hotel ...

Madison360: After his year of big buildings, mayor thinks small
Capital Times
As Mayor Dave Cieslewicz approaches the last six months of his second term, he's been most visible recently on three big-ticket issues: the Edgewater Hotel ...

Madison's Edgewater funding in danger -
The Business Journal of ...
The developer of a project to restore and expand the Edgewater hotel in Madison wants the city to expand a tax incremental financing district to include the ...

Tuesday, August 24
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's smart move to the middle
Madison.com
More recently, he showed strong leadership by pushing hard for The Edgewater hotel revitalization and expansion - a huge victory for Downtown, ...

Cieslewicz defends his record as challengers line up
Madison.com
As he prepares to run, three big, unresolved issues - the future of Overture Center, redevelopment of The Edgewater hotel, and the final look and shape of a ...

Dane Buy Local Venetian Night ~ A Boat Parade of Lights on Lake ...
Dane Buy Local Venetian Night ~ A Boat Parade of Lights on Lake Mendota! in Madison, WI at Maple Bluff to UW Memorial Union and Edgewater Hotel. Our 201...

Sunday, August 22
Lawyer takes special interest in advocacy, bike-friendly roads
Madison.com
The project was necessary to preserve the historic part of the hotel. ... Can the city recover from scars from the Overture, Edgewater and library debates?

Thursday, August 17
Mayoral Race Coming Up
WMTV
A future campaign theme will revolve around the types of jobs created in the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment. "The reason I fought so hard for Edgewater is ...

Wednesday, August 11
Could this man unseat Mayor Dave?
Capital Times
Radomski chastises the mayor for taking a position on the Edgewater Hotel before the project was vetted and offering $16 million in tax increment financing ...

Hearing on Edgewater TIF (yes, this is about schools)
AMPS
Joint Review Board Hearing and the Edgewater Project ... to provide over $18 million in property tax based financing for the proposed luxury hotel plaza.

Monday, August 9
Hands on Wisconsin: Not in my front, back or side yard
Wisconsin State Journal
In the wake of the year-long debate over an expansion of the Edgewater Hotel, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has discussed stream-lining the development ...

Friday, August 6
Online ticket brokers change the game in Madison ...
I was part of a roundtable conversation a couple of weeks ago at the Capitol Square office of Fred Mohs, the high-profile lawyer suing to try to stop the Edgewater hotel remodeling project. At one point, Mohs said that from the start of ...

TIF extension for Edgewater project could be iffy | Education ...
AllBusiness.com
While redevelopment of the Edgewater hotel remains stalled by a lawsuit from opponents, public funding for the project also faces an uncertain future.

Tuesday, August 3
Chris Rickert: Despite the Edgewater fuss, Madison may not be such a bad place ...
Wisconsin State Journal
A Lake Mendota view from the Rigadoon Room of the Edgewater Hotel. Photo by Craig Schreiner/State Journal Go to anything having to do with the redevelopment ...

Edgewater TIF extension iffy
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
With redevelopment of the Edgewater hotel stalled by a lawsuit from opponents, the project by Brookfield developer Hammes Co. is facing the additional ...

Monday, August 2
Saving the Hillcrest-Upland Greenway: Edgewater Hotel ...
Save Our Stream
Edgewater Hotel reconstruction--a site with special challenges. A new tower for the Edgewater Hotel will rise on the steep, wooded site to the right. The contractor chosen for the Edgewater Hotel reconstruction must be prepared for some ...

The Contractor Report: Edgewater Hotel reconstruction--a site with ...
The Contractor Report
The Edgewater Hotel project has to be prepared for a major storm, like the one that recently pummelled Milwaukee with six inches of rain in a few hours. In the 1990s, a storm of 7-11 inches flooded Madison and Baraboo.

Sunday, August 1
Letter to Fred Mohs
Madison's Museum Mile
I personally have no problem with a tall Edgewater hotel, but if we, as a community WANT a lakeshore path for Mendota, in the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, let's do it organically with a shorter but longer hotel, built into the hill ...

Events Calendar
IBMadison.com
Join us for a special evening at one of the loveliest spots in town - the pier of the Edgewater Hotel. As always, you'll enjoy some of the most fun ...

Friday, July 30
Sly In The Morning: Edgewater Developer Bob Dunn
SLY IN THE MORNING
Believe me, this remodel to restore the Edgewater Hotel to its past grandeur has been thoroughly vetted. Mohs goal is to delay this project to the point where Dunn and the City finally give up. This has serious consequences for our ...

Thursday, July 29
Biz Beat: Hammes Co. likes the ring of "Gov. Scott Walker"
Madison.com
A swanky new Edgewater Hotel won't be open in time for the November election night parties. The project is facing a lawsuit from opponents and questions ...

The Electrical Worker Online
... upgrading his city's venerable 64-year-old Edgewater Hotel on Lake Mendota, ... Built in 1927 during the Gilded Age, the hotel near the Illinois River ...

Tuesday, July 27
After Edgewater saga, Madison moves to streamline development process
Isthmus Daily Page
The city's Landmarks Commission, which was entangled in controversy during the approval process for redeveloping the Edgewater Hotel, met Monday to discuss ...

Re-development of $98 million Edgewater Hotel, Madison, Wisconsin ...
HotelOnline.com
July 25, 2010--The developer proposing to remake the historic Edgewater hotel is lashing out at residents challenging the project in court, ...

Madison Dining
Speckled Hen Inn
The Admiralty at The Edgewater Hotel (http://www.theedgewater.com) (608) 256- 9071 666 Wisconsin Ave, Madison, WI 53703 An exceptional establishment: One of ...

Monday, July 26
Edgewater developer should tone down the threats
Wisconsin State Journal
The Edgewater Hotel on Wisconsin Ave. viewed from the exterior Lantern Observation Deck. In the first installment of "Secret Places" on Thursday May 20, ...

Weekend in Madison
Madison Magazine
Nightcap at the Edgewater Pier. It's a short walk up Mansion Hill to the Edgewater Hotel, an art deco landmark waiting for its makeover.

Sunday, July 25
Edgewater developer blasts lawsuit
Wisconsin State Journal
Robert Dunn, president of Hammes Co., addresses the Madison City Council meeting on the final vote of the proposed Edgewater Hotel development plan on May ...

Madison Jobs | Edgewater developer blasts lawsuit - Wisconsin ...
Madison Jobs
Edgewater developer blasts lawsuit Wisconsin State Journal Robert Dunn, president of Hammes Co., addresses the Madison City Council meeting on the final vote of the proposed Edgewater Hotel development plan on May ...

Edgewater developer blasts lawsuit
www.individual.com
The developer proposing to remake the historic Edgewater hotel is lashing out at residents challenging the project in court, saying a "frivolous" lawsuit is ...

Monday, July 19
Madison360: Coming to a neighborhood near you: less influence
Madison.com
Many of us continue to regard the Edgewater outcome as unfortunate or worse, as an unimportant taxpayer-subsidized remodeling of an aging lakefront hotel ...

Project Plan for Edgewater
Forward Lookout
"The forecasted $133000000 of incremental growth is predicated upon $44800000 of incremental value of the Edgewater Hotel Redevelopment Project and $88200000 of appreciation within the Amendment until 2030."

Sunday, July 18
Wisconsin and Illinois Locals Win Hotel Restoration Projects
IBEW.org
Hotel Restoration Projects. July 15, 2010 ... to win public investment in upgrading his city's venerable 64 year-old Edgewater Hotel on Lake Mendota, ...

Friday, July 16
The state of Mayor Dave plus budgets and more Ron ...
Emily's Post:
secondly, the Edgewater Hotel Saga may have ended in a manner Cieslewicz found to be satisfactory - but there are still large swaths of the populace who feel seriously stung by the process that led up to the final decision.

Tuesday, July 13
Lawsuit could delay Edgewater redevelopment
1000 Friends of ...
Lawsuit could delay Edgewater redevelopment. By Paul Snyder. Madison's Common Council president is blasting a lawsuit challenging the city's approval of the proposed Edgewater Hotel redevelopment. "It's a case that's very unlikely to ...

Sunday, July 11
Downtown hotel developers resubmit plans
Worldnews.com
The developer behind the plan to expand the Edgewater Hotel in Madison's ... The head of the Edgewater Hotel development plan said Tuesday that he's ...

Saturday, July 10
Lawsuit could delay Edgewater redevelopment
Daily Reporter (blog)
A rendering shows plans for the Edgewater Hotel redevelopment in Madison. A lawsuit by two residents of Madison's Mansion Hill Historic District could delay ...

Dolan Media Newswire Story
Dolan Media Company --
MILWAUKEE, WI -- Madison's Common Council president is blasting a lawsuit challenging the city's approval of the proposed Edgewater Hotel redevelopment.

Friday, July 9
Edgewater News From AOL News
Edgewater news. See the latest headlines on Edgewater from AOL News. ... Madison city council approved the $98 million redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel.

Wednesday, July 7
City should focus efforts on homeless
Daily Cardinal
Last month, the Madison city council approved the $98 million redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel. That sounds like a lot of money to the average ...

Letter to Fred Mohs
Madison's Museum Mile
I personally have no problem with a tall Edgewater hotel, but if we, as a community WANT a lakeshore path for Mendota, in the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, let's do it organically with a shorter but longer hotel, built into the hill ...

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wisconsin State Journal
A new city living room: Massive Edgewater redevelopment proposed
By DEAN MOSIMAN
608-252-6141
dmosiman@madison.com

A Madison developer is proposing a massive redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel, offering to turn the venerable but faded landmark on Lake Mendota into a destination that would "reshape the city" as the Overture Center and Monona Terrace did.

The $107 million project, which developer Robert Dunn said aims to reinvent the Edgewater as "Madison's living room," has put a twinkle in some people's eyes — and is raising the eyebrows of others.

"It's going to be wonderful for the neighborhood and the city," said Harvey Wendel, president of the nearby Pinckney Street Condominiums, one of dozens of area residents and officials with whom Dunn has shared preliminary plans for the project.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has also declared himself a supporter, "no question about it," but acknowledged the project faces many hurdles.

"There's a long road ahead of us," he said.

Dunn, president of Hammes Co., is proposing to restore the Art Moderne style of the original Edgewater, built in 1948, while building a landscaped public plaza atop the 1973 addition that would offer sweeping views of Lake Mendota and a grand staircase cascading to the waterfront and piers.

The most prominent part of the project is an 11-story hotel addition, built in a neo-classical style, on the north end of the property.

The project would have 228 rooms, 364 parking spaces, fine dining, casual restaurants and a bar — including a revival of the memorable Rigadoon Room — a spa, fitness center, pool and a large inside space overlooking the lake that could be used for concerts, lectures, films, weddings and other events.

Dunn, a Madison native whose parents were married at the Edgewater, said he intends to build on the storied history of the hotel, which has hosted Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Bob Marley, Indira Gandhi, George H.W. Bush and other notables. The hotel is also special to generations of people who attended weddings and parties, met for dinner or drinks, or worked there.

"It's a lot more than a hotel," he said. "We're trying to take an asset that's aged and put it on a course for the next 100 years."

How it benefits Madison

Scott Faulkner, Edgewater president and general manager, will stay with the hotel, which has been operated by his family at 666 Wisconsin Ave. since it opened in 1948, Dunn said. Faulkner's father, Augie, managed the hotel when it opened and owned it from 1963 until his death in 1996. The Faulkner family now owns two-thirds of the property, and neighboring National Guardian Life Insurance owns the rest.

Dunn, who is near closing on buying the property for an undisclosed price, estimated the redevelopment would bring more than 900 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs once the revived hotel opens. The company estimates the hotel would generate $54 million in direct and indirect spending in Madison and the surrounding area annually, while public coffers would get more than $20 million a year in property taxes and other revenue.

The development will be privately financed, but Hammes will seek city tax incremental financing (TIF) support for public elements including the terrace, stairway and parking, he said. Dunn declined to reveal the size of the TIF request, but Ald. Mike Verveer said it may exceed $5 million.

The project, in a historic district near the UW campus, is in a direct line from Lake Mendota to the state Capitol and Monona Terrace on the other side of the Isthmus.

"This is a project that in many ways can reshape the city," said Dunn, whose company has handled dozens of major developments locally and around the globe including the Kohl Center in Madison, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and the new New York Giants-Jets football stadium.

Concerns expressed

Hammes spent months quietly seeking support from political and business leaders in the neighborhood, adjusting and refining plans along the way.

But the approach has disturbed some, who say Hammes selectively shared information and hasn't resolved concerns about the height of the proposed tower, the effect on the nearby Mansion Hill Historic District, the view of Lake Mendota — protected by city ordinance — and traffic, noise and parking concerns.

Alds. Bridget Maniaci, whose 2nd district contains the Edgewater, and Verveer, whose 4th district abuts the area, said there is much to like in the proposal but it has created tensions among neighbors.

The developer even organized a neighborhood group — the Mansion Hill Neighborhood Coalition — as an alternative to the existing neighborhood association, Verveer said.

"They've done the most superb job of rounding up support for the project behind the scenes that I've ever seen," said Verveer, who has mixed emotions about the proposal. But "I think it's been too messy and too slick for Hammes' own good."

The proposal is supported by Downtown Madison Inc., the Wisconsin Alumni Association, nearby First United Methodist Church and several neighborhood leaders.

"It takes real advantage of this beautiful spot and creates all these appealing public spaces," DMI President Susan Schmitz said.

Tower too tall

But Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. and the Mansion Hill Neighborhood Association are troubled by parts of the plan.

The hotel tower far exceeds the 50-foot height limit for the historic district. The public plaza would spoil views of the lake from Wisconsin Avenue and Langdon Street. And the development would generate too much traffic and noise, said resident and landlord Fred Mohs, a member of a neighborhood steering committee studying the project.

In terms of rooms, the hotel would be the city's fourth largest. Marcus Corp. recently proposed a 275-room hotel on the Madison Municipal Building block but has not submitted a formal plan.

Ledell Zellers, former president of Capitol Neighborhoods and a steering committee member, called Dunn's maneuvering behind the scenes "disheartening" and said the project could harm the neighborhood by inspiring owners to let properties decline so they can be demolished for big buildings.

Leigh Richardson, president of the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, shares many of the same concerns but has taken no formal position.

225 meetings held

Dunn said he respects the critics but disagrees with them. Hammes has had frequent communication with neighbors and others, holding 225 meetings with a broad spectrum of residents and groups, he said.

"We've not only been inclusive, we've gone to extraordinary effort to be inclusive," he said.

The hotel tower comes up to the maximum height allowed by city and state law to preserve the view of the Capitol dome, but the building is just 28 feet taller than the one next door, Dunn said. He said the company reduced the tower's mass and moved it to preserve the view of the lake from Wisconsin Avenue in response to neighborhood concerns.

Noise and traffic concerns also are being addressed, and the hotel will provide more parking per room than any other in Madison, he said.

The project, he said, will produce revenue to improve a neighborhood in which only 3 percent of the housing is owner-occupied and more than half of the properties are blighted.

Cieslewicz applauded the added hotel rooms, access to the waterfront and other offerings.

"There are so many benefits to the city as a whole and so many potential benefits to the neighborhood itself," he said. "There's so much good that can come from it."

Plan to be submitted

Dunn will submit formal plans next month, which will trigger reviews by city committees and ultimately the City Council. He said he believes the community will embrace the project.

The Edgewater — which has 107 rooms and features the upscale Admiralty dining room and Cove Lounge, the seasonal outdoor Pier Cafe and meeting space — was once the city's premier hotel but has lost its luster, he said.

A simple renovation was impractical, he said. By expanding the hotel, the Edgewater will be able to offer things "that don't exist anyplace else" locally and maximize the site's potential as a public place — Lake Mendota's answer to Monona Terrace, he said.

It's the same approach Hammes used to expand and develop Lambeau Field to make it a year-round attraction, coupling tradition with new public spaces and amenities. The stadium, which once mainly hosted about 10 football games annually, last year hosted 687 events, he said.

If the project is approved, Dunn hopes to start construction next year and finish it in early 2012.

"He's going to do something here that I and the family could not do," Faulkner said. "He's going to leave a legacy here. I just wish my father were here to see it."