621 Elysian Fields Ave.

District: Faubourg Marigny - Full Control

Owner: 621 Elysian Fields LLC

HDLC Staff: Dennis Murphy

Rating: Unrated

Applicant: Katie Minor & Marcelle Walter

Permit #: 23-11283-HDLC

Description: New construction of a 91,000 SF six-story hotel building with occupied roof fronting Elysian Fields, Royal and Chartres Streets on a vacant lot.

Previous ARC Recommendations:

07/18/23: The ARC voted to defer the application for additional review. The ARC agreed that:

The bulk and massing of the proposed new construction may not be appropriate for the site and how it keys into Chartres and Royal Streets, which are lower-scale and more residential in character than the Elysian Fields side and the applicant should further refine the proposed massing and overall site arrangement.
Most of the adjacent existing context is only one or two-stories tall and the applicant should consider alternative proposals which set the massing further back as the height increases to better integrate with the adjacent heights and scale.
The proposed floor-to-ceiling heights and proportions should be reconsidered so they better relate to the existing surrounding historic context.
There appears to be too much emphasis on car access in terms of the proposed elevations and first-floor layout. For example, the applicant should consider relocating the main lobby from the center of the building closer to Elysian Fields Avenue to provide more activity at the sidewalk and to better relate the building and its program to the surrounding context. The current planning is inappropriately suburban in nature for this important, dense historic, predominantly residential context.
The Royal and Chartres Street elevations do not appear to have a pedestrian connection or access and should be reconsidered. The ARC recommended the applicant study the unique character of each block face, including its roof forms, building heights, materials, and textures, to assist with redesigning these elevations.
There should be more public exterior space and the applicant could consider creating two or three independent buildings with a courtyard or other exterior space provided between.
The ARC recommended including several alternative massing studies of the proposal for the next review and requested that additional 3-D perspective views be included and taken closer to street-level and include views at the existing adjacent 1-story structures.