Commission sends 24 Cathedral Place hotel PUD amendment to second reading after detailed review

The City Commission advanced Ordinance 2026-08, a proposed amendment to the planned unit development (PUD) covering 22 and 24 Cathedral Place, to a public hearing and second reading.

Amy Skinner, director of planning and building, explained the PUD amendment would restore and preserve the historic bank building, convert part of the site to a 120-room hotel, and construct a parking garage with a minimum of 155 spaces wrapped by hotel rooms facing Charlotte and Treasury Streets. The application includes HARB approvals for exterior architecture, a proposed public trash compactor for nearby businesses, and a public-benefit package that includes a $464,640 contribution toward complete-street improvements on Charlotte Street.

The applicant's representative described the proposed mitigation to reduce construction vibration to nearby historic structures: use of auger-cast piles rather than impact-driven piling and additional language in the PUD text committing to monitoring and mitigation. Commissioners pressed for a firm minimum/maximum parking figure to appear on second reading, asked whether the applicant would commit to vibration monitoring during construction, and requested clarification of financial timing for the public-streetscape contribution. The applicant clarified the $464,640 contribution is due within 90 days of commission approval.

After discussion, the commission voted to advance the ordinance to second reading and public hearing so the project can return with clarified PUD text addressing the commissioners' concerns.

Next steps: staff and the applicant will refine the PUD language on parking and vibration monitoring for the second-reading public hearing.