The City of Greenville Design Review Board Urban Panel reviewed during its May meeting applications for certificates of appropriateness for Diner 24’s exterior signage, the Grand Bohemian Hotel, and Markley Place condominium development.
Diner 24
The application for Diner 24’s sign, which has been visible in the front of the restaurant at 18 E. Coffee St. and on social media for several weeks, was denied with recommendations that the sign be redesigned without exposed lights and in a style closer to the original, thinner width and verticality rather than the current curved “Route 66” style.
Exposed bulbs are a style the DRB allows in the West End, such as the Warehouse Theatre marquee that was installed in the fall, but not downtown. Neon lights were recommended in this case.
Grand Bohemian Hotel
An application by Kessler Enterprise Inc. for a certificate of appropriateness for the building design of the Grand Bohemian Hotel located at 44 Camperdown Way was approved with conditions.
Suggestions were made that more work be done to maintain the park experience for pedestrians, maintain what was termed the “green shield” of trees and bushes at the end of the Camperdown side of the Liberty Bridge between Falls Park on the hotel site, and address the corner of the east gateway with a wider sidewalk and more open archway to give a more obvious entranceway into the park.
Additionally, the panel recommended more thought be given to more modern-looking materials, particularly the roofing, which will be visible far above the tree line and other nearby buildings.
The Grand Bohemian’s architect, Christian Sottile of Sottile & Sottile Architects, presented an elaborate three-dimensional, handcrafted wooden model along with multiple material examples for the panel to view. The hotel design is reminiscent of a rustic lodge.
Sottile said he views the location of the hotel as a transition from the city into the park, and based the design on the wooded, lush greenery.
Panel members asked Sottile and his team to consider modernizing the exterior to appear more in line with surrounding building designs.
DRB member Carmella M. Cioffi said the overall design needs to be more urban, presenting more of a clean contemporary line while likely being able to use the same materials in the plan. She cited the modern lines of the Liberty Bridge that would be in stark contrast to the current design of the hotel. She further recommended moving away from the idea of a park-based architectural design.
“I think the building can rise organically from the park and still feel like today’s architecture,” she said.
Cioffi conceded her that recommendation to use the submitted rustic materials but make the overall appearance more modern and smooth was vague, but encouraged the architects to work towards that end.
The Kessler Group, along with Sottile & Sottile, will make the recommended adjustments and present them to two members of the DRB for approval.
110 N. Markley St.
A project approved two years ago by the DRB but not yet begun was reintroduced with changes. An application by Johnston Design Group for a certificate of appropriateness for demolition of an existing building and construction of a five-story residential condo at 110 N. Markley St. was tabled until the June session.
The project changes include an increase from four to five stories, expanded sublevel parking, and elimination of the previously approved rooftop terrace.
The addition of the fifth story is to include various rent levels, with a goal of offering more affordable rental options. The building’s façade will include reclaimed brick.
Recommendations were made by the panel to augment the roofline from a straight line to one with multiple levels to provide more visual variation.
