621 Elysian Fields Ave.

Description: New construction of an 81,258 SF five-story hotel building on a vacant lot, fronting Elysian Fields Avenue, Royal and Chartres Street.

Previous ARC Recommendations: 

03/19/24: The ARC voted to defer the application until such time as the applicant has obtained all necessary requested waivers and conditional uses for the proposed new construction. The ARC also agreed that:

• Elysian Fields Avenue:

  • The “stepped” approach of setting back the building massing as the height increases (shown in the Alternative Option) is more successful than the previous iteration. However, as seen in the 3D perspectives provided, the overall building massing and form is still too large, appears out of scale with the site, and is thus incompatible with the surrounding historic context of primarily one and two-story structures.

  • The applicant should consider concentrating the massing along the Elysian Fields side where a larger scale and more commercial attitude may be more appropriate. 

    • • The 2’ and 3’ setbacks shown along the Elysian Fields side are insufficient to visually break down the building massing as seen from the street.

  • The applicant should continue to study and refine the proposed FTC heights, so building relates better to the existing adjacent building heights, datums, and proportions more closely. For example, the top of the 2nd floor is shown to align with the height of the corner building on Royal, but the amount of wall area above the openings is too thin to proportionally match the historic reference and should be reconsidered.  

• Royal Street:

  • The move to shift the building massing deeper into the site on this side is not successful. This massing should be brought forward to the property line so there is more of a presence and connection to the street. Additionally, this may also allow for a slight reduction in massing at other parts of the building.

• Chartres Street:

  • The ARC appreciated the proposed historic building form but noted that the details and its relationship to the surrounding context is not yet successful. For example, the overall building height and its FTC heights should be reconsidered so they more closely relate to the immediate adjacent historic buildings. 

• General:

  • The applicant should continue their efforts at outreach to relevant neighborhood stakeholders, including the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association (FMIA).

06/20/23: 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.

Additional Waivers & Approvals Status: 

• Conditional Use (Hotel over 10,000 SF): Approved with modifications by City Council on 2/27/2025 under Motion No. M-25-150

• Floor to Area Ratio: Approved by City Council with modifications on 2/27/2025 under Motion No. M-25-150

  • • FAR Permitted by CZO = 2.2

    • FAR Approved by City Council = 2.85 (+0.65)

    • Current FAR = 2.65

• Building Height: Denied by City Council on 2/27/2025 under Motion No. M-25-150

  • • Total Height Requested = 74 FT

    • Total Height Permitted by CZO = 50 FT

• Vehicle Parking: Not Requested

  • • Vehicle Parking Spaces Required by CZO = 1 per 2 guest bedrooms  (122 total guest bedrooms)

    • Total Parking Spaces Required by CZO = 61

    • Total Parking Spaces to be Provided = 65 (30 through on/off-street parking  spaces and remainder at a nearby parking facility, as per ownership agreement)

Context Photos:

Elysian Fields Avenue:

Drawing Comparisons:

Proposed Elysian Fields Avenue Context Elevations:

Proposed Ground Floor/Site Plans:

Current Drawings:

Previous Drawings - 03/19/24:

Applicant Responses to Previous ARC Recommendations:

Previous Drawings - 06/20/23:

City Council Motion M-25-150 - 02/27/2025:

CZO Site Design Standards - Article 10.3.A:

Sanborn Maps:

Street View:

Written Public Comment (Received Previously):