Proposed 66-Room Hotel Entails Demolishing the Press Room

In August of 2020, SIMA began the permitting process to convert six downtown lots—fronting both State Street and E. Ortega Street—into a single 30,000-square-foot development with 36 apartments, a restaurant, and an office. The plan involved demolishing 710 State Street, currently home to Restoration Hardware, and 15 E. Ortega, where The Press Room bar is. The latter was built in 1925 as a plumbing store; earlier in 2020, the city’s History Landmarks Commission determined that it’s not historically significant.

Two months later, the Press Room got a reprieve when SIMA’s Jim Knell announced that he was pulling the plug on the project because the city council was threatening to force developers in the area to include more affordable housing.

Now, however, the Press Room is on the ropes again—Knell evidently determined that the best way to solve the problem was to avoid residential altogether. The Historic Landmarks Commission’s December 7 agenda includes “a proposal to construct a 32,799-square-foot, four-story, 66-room hotel including a restaurant/bar and conference rooms on six lots totaling 30,004 square feet. The project also includes 16 parking spaces on the ground floor. A Lot Merger is required for the properties at 710-720 State Street and 15 E. Ortega Street. The 14,455-square-foot buildings at 710 State Street (including 19 E. Ortega) and the 1,000-square-foot building at 19* E. Ortega are proposed to be demolished. The remaining 6,071 square feet of existing nonresidential development will remain (714-720 State Street).” [*That’s a typo; the plans specify that 15 E. Ortega, a.k.a. the Press Room, is also being demolished.] This graphic included in the plans explains it better; the dark line indicates the boundary of the project.

The design, by Kevin Moore Architect, is similar to the residential version, with varied facades that give the feel of a village street and a paseo running from State to Ortega. The elevations below show, respectively, what you’ll see from State Street, as you walk along the paseo, and what you’ll see from Ortega.

The ground-floor restaurant fronts State Street, with the small lobby tucked behind. I would imagine that the paseo is gated, seeing as how there are guest rooms along the paseo.

The floor plan for the fourth floor and roof shows another restaurant; sure enough, the agenda is wrong—the plans mention two restaurant spaces.

Last time, the Historic Landmarks Commission ate it up—but that was in good part because the  project promised more housing. This time might be more interesting.

················

Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.