A Tuesday public hearing is scheduled for Hyde Park residents to gather more information about a seven-story hotel development planned for 53rd Street and Dorchester Avenue. The boutique hotel concept from Smart Hotels at 1401 E 53rd St has encountered resistance from residents concerned about traffic congestion.
The $20M project calls for 90 keys in the hotel, along with retail and restaurant space, but only 17 parking spaces were revealed at an October meeting, which opponents and Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) say is not enough and would lead to more traffic along already-narrow 53rd Street, reports DNAInfo.
The meeting will be held 6pm at Harper Place, 5225 S Harper. The proposed site for the hotel is a parking lot owned by the University of Chicago, which is an advocate of development along 53rd Street. [DNA]
