Summit Avenue mansion to be converted into a boutique hotel
Developer John Rupp has submitted plans to the city of St. Paul to redevelop a 98-year-old mansion on Summit Avenue into a 10-unit luxury hotel.
The plan is for the three-story Watson Davidson mansion at 344 Summit. For more than 50 years it was home to the College of Visual Arts, but is vacant today.
The plan needs the approval of the St. Paul City Council and the St. Paul Planning Commission's Zoning Committee.
Rupp, who owns St. Paul development company Commonwealth Properties, bought the property for $820,000 in December. Rooms in the new hotel would cost from $239 to $795 per night and range in size from 600 to 2,000 square feet.
He said the 18,000-square-foot structure will easily convert into a luxury hotel based on its layout. The interior finishes and furnishings would be updated, but the only major structural change would be the addition of three bathrooms.
Rupp said the hotel, tentatively named Watson's Manor, would compete with the nicest rooms available in St. Paul today, including the St. Paul Hotel.
His company also owns the Hotel 340, a 56-room hotel in the St. Paul Athletic Club Building near the Xcel Energy Center. Rupp said some of Hotel 340's guests have said be willing to pay more for something out of downtown.
Rupp said he's got signatures supporting the Summit Avenue project from enough of the surrounding property owners to submit the plans to the city. The Ramsey Hill Association neighborhood group held a meeting in June to discuss the project and one concern from residents had to do with parking. Other residents also wanted assurances from Rupp that the hotel wouldn't be used for large parties or events.
The project will be heard at the Zoning Committee's Aug. 28 meeting at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Reported by: bizjournals.com
The plan is for the three-story Watson Davidson mansion at 344 Summit. For more than 50 years it was home to the College of Visual Arts, but is vacant today.
The plan needs the approval of the St. Paul City Council and the St. Paul Planning Commission's Zoning Committee.
Rupp, who owns St. Paul development company Commonwealth Properties, bought the property for $820,000 in December. Rooms in the new hotel would cost from $239 to $795 per night and range in size from 600 to 2,000 square feet.
He said the 18,000-square-foot structure will easily convert into a luxury hotel based on its layout. The interior finishes and furnishings would be updated, but the only major structural change would be the addition of three bathrooms.
Rupp said the hotel, tentatively named Watson's Manor, would compete with the nicest rooms available in St. Paul today, including the St. Paul Hotel.
His company also owns the Hotel 340, a 56-room hotel in the St. Paul Athletic Club Building near the Xcel Energy Center. Rupp said some of Hotel 340's guests have said be willing to pay more for something out of downtown.
Rupp said he's got signatures supporting the Summit Avenue project from enough of the surrounding property owners to submit the plans to the city. The Ramsey Hill Association neighborhood group held a meeting in June to discuss the project and one concern from residents had to do with parking. Other residents also wanted assurances from Rupp that the hotel wouldn't be used for large parties or events.
The project will be heard at the Zoning Committee's Aug. 28 meeting at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Reported by: bizjournals.com
