Owners of former BMO Harris Bank in St. Charles get approval for exterior renovations
In his third trip in front of the St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission, local developer Curt Hurst received approval Wednesday to proceed with exterior renovations at the former BMO Harris Bank downtown building he recently purchased.
In two previous meetings, commission members tabled Hurst's requests for a Certificate of Appropriateness and asked him to submit revised plans based on the need to better preserve the historic elements of the 1965 building's midcentury modern style.
With a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, Hurst was granted the COA required to transform the exterior of the riverfront building at 1 E. Main St. and complete his plans for upscale residential units with balconies and a first-floor restaurant, The Graceful Ordinary, which plans to open in the spring.
While Commissioner Pam Mann voted no, Phil Kessler, Kim Malay, Steven Smunt and Thomas Pretz voted yes. Because of the margin, Chairman Frederick Norris did not vote.
"I've seen the commission taking very careful count of older historic buildings," Mann said. "'Should we replace that window, should we do this, should we do that?' And really being very concerned about the nature of the building. I don't see that happening here, and I find it very disturbing."
The commissioners approved one of four exterior design options presented Wednesday by Hurst, who runs Frontier Development LLC with his son, Conrad, and Corey Dunne, owner and principal architect at D+K Architects.
The changes from the previous submissions include more vertical elements similar to the style of the original building. There are also white, less-detailed railings on the balconies instead of black.
Some commissioners did not like balconies being added to the existing structure, but others argued the views along the Fox River necessitated the balconies for residential development.
"I truly believe that most structures, in order to survive, have to undergo changes over time," Smunt said.