A proposed hotel that has garnered the ire of city officials and others in the hospitality industry got City Council's approval yesterday. Well, sort of.
The Royal Cosmopolitan planned for 121 Royal St., formerly the home of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and the Astor Hotel, got the City Council's approval in a 5-2 vote—however, even council members voting in favor of the project said their support was tentative. Along with final approval from the council, the project still needs the OK from the Historic District Landmarks Commission.
Although the planned hotel trimmed down to 20 stories in its latest iteration presented to the council, at 190 feet the hotel would still be 120 feet higher than area's height limit. The project has been proposed in various configurations since 2005—this might just be one of those projects that remains in development purgatory forever.
· Controversial French Quarter tower gets preliminary OK, but big hurdle remains [The Advocate]