Ald. Brendan Reilly rejected the Dana Hotel’s expansion proposal at 12-22 West Erie Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, according to a statement sent by the alderman on Friday.
After reviewing the proposal, Ald. Reilly informed the developer that he would not support the proposal halting the project. Neighbors were concerned about the Dana Hotel’s “poor and apathetic” job managing its curbside frontage, according to the statement.
Residents claimed that buses, taxis, Ubers and trolleys back up and block traffic on Erie and Dearborn streets regularly. Those at the meeting also stated that buses have been seen driving the wrong way and idle with engines running for hours, the statement said.
The traffic study was also inaccurate, depicting Dearborn Street as a two-way street when it is actually a northbound one-way street, the alderman said in the statement.
There were also design concerns about the large amount of exposed concrete and the unattractive banquet hall, according to the statement.
The alderman goes on to reference a history of complaints and negative feedback from residents about the Dana Hotel’s operations which factored into his decision to reject the project.
Ald. Reilly suggest the Dana Hotel work for the next year to improve operations and remove the nightclub or determine what can be developed under existing zoning limitations.
