Historical Overlay For Lower Broad Gets Lukewarm Reception

A proposed historical overlay for Lower Broadway got a mixed reception from property owners, at a meeting held last night at the Downtown Library.

Councilman Mike Jameson made the passage of the overlay a condition for the approval of the proposed Westin Hotel development. Jameson is supporting the 19-story hotel, but says he wants to close the door on future tall buildings that could disrupt the historical feel of Lower Broad.

Betsey Williams manages buildings for an out-of-state company which owns 22 properties on Second Avenue and along Broadway. She says the company she represents, 306 Broadway, supports the overlay.

“Really it lends some amount of stability in terms of design consistency, of maintaining or preserving the unique character of that district and that’s very important when you’re going to invest the kind of dollars that they plan to do.”

But other owners worry that with the overlay, they won’t be able to revamp empty floors or entire buildings. They say current code requirements along with the additional mandates from the overlay will make it too expensive.

Last night’s meeting was designed to start a dialogue among property owners. The Westin group has predicted that its construction costs increase 1-percent every month. It is paying the Nashville firm of Thomason and Associates, about 25-thousand dollars to develop the overlay, in hopes of speeding up the process.

Overlays are usually written by the historical commission.