3401 St Charles Ave

District: St. Charles Avenue - Full Control

Owner: ET Al Sydney J III Besthoff, Andrew Associates LLC

Rating: Non-Contributing

Applicant: Kim Hosch

Description: Change of massing and final detail review of previously approved new construction of a 114-unit mixed-use development with ground-floor commercial space fronting St. Charles and Louisiana Avenues.

Previous ARC Recommendations:

08/17/2021: The ARC voted to recommend conceptual approval with the details to be worked out at the ARC level. The ARC agreed that the proposed open green space and landscaping was an improvement in the right direction for the treatment of the Louisiana Avenue side and addresses the previous ARC concerns. The ARC also agreed that:

Renderings of the proposed perimeter treatment taken at eye-level should be provided so the ARC can better understand how a pedestrian would experience it.
The building elevations are moving in the right direction, but more details should be provided of the façade, spandrels, canopies, ground floor openings, storefronts and all other elements that will be part of the streetscape.
The proposed stucco cladding at the penthouses appears generic and the penthouses should be reconsidered so they are less visible and such that the five-story building appears to be a four-story building from the surrounding streets.

02/23/2021: The ARC voted to recommend conceptual approval of the proposed massing with the details to be worked out at the ARC level and the provisos that an approximately 40’ by 40’ ground-floor garden space be included and that if the BZA height waiver is denied then the project will return for additional ARC review of the massing. The ARC agreed that the previous recommendations that have been incorporated into the design are positive improvements. The ARC also agreed that:

The proposed footprint fills out the site with building and parking and appears monolithic from the surrounding streets without the interplay of public and garden spaces typical of large scale buildings found along St. Charles Avenue. The ARC reiterated that there should be more green space on the block and the proposed perimeter treatment was not sufficient.
The ARC recommended including an area approximately 40’ by 40’ at the ground level for exterior garden space that steps up at the rear to a more private area. The garden space should be visually accessible from the sidewalk but does not need to be physically accessible.
Images of the previous historic retail condition at the sidewalk along Louisiana Avenue could be helpful for further discussion.

01/19/2021: The ARC voted to defer this application for additional review and agreed that:

The building type des not correspond with large scale residential buildings found along St. Charles Ave. Large scale buildings are typically U-shaped with ground level open space fronting the Avenue. This is exemplified by the building at the corner of St. Charles Ave and Toledano St.
Add canopies above the transom level at all storefront conditions.
Consider recessing the single story portions of the building along Louisiana Avenue to allow for publically accessible open space that could be used for exterior seating for the adjacent commercial uses.
The architectural language of the 4 story portion of the building is more successful than that of the 5 story portion. In particular, the openings at the 5th floor are too close to the cornice. Consider setting back the 5Th floor so that the building reads as a 4 story building.
The large scale arches are not appropriate outside of the Central Business District.
Additionally, the ARC advised consulting with the Board of Zoning Adjustments to ensure that the two reviews are moving forward in a mutually beneficial manner.

12/15/2020: The ARC voted to defer this application for additional review and agreed that the mass of Building B is out of scale with the immediate context. The ARC made the following recommendations that may help minimize the visual bulk of the structure:

The single-story elements with roof terraces should be redesigned as courtyards at ground level.
Extend the building mass down St. Charles to better obscure the parking area.
5 stories is an appropriate scale for the St Charles Ave frontage, but the building should step down as it moves away from the corner of St Charles and Louisiana Avenues.
Consider stepping the top floor back from the building edge to reduce the perceptible building height.
Reintroduce the depth and texture of the building exterior walls that is present in the original hand drawn renderings.

Previous Commission Actions:

10/06/2021: The Commission voted to defer action on this application until the next Commission meeting so that the applicant can schedule an HDLC interior/exterior inspection at 1631 Delachaise Street.

11/03/2021: The Commission voted to approve the application for demolition to grade of 1631 Delachaise Street and to grant conceptual approval of the proposed new construction with the final details to be reviewed again by the ARC.