Council grants appeal allowing reduced ground-floor glazing for United Village hotel project

The St. Paul City Council voted 7–0 to grant an appeal of a Board of Zoning Appeals decision and allow variances for ground-floor window and door openings on the north facade of the proposed United Village hotel at 1560 University Avenue West.

City zoning staff presented the project and the variance request, describing the 1.65-acre parcel and a ground-floor program that includes restaurant and lobby space but also building service areas that staff said create practical difficulties for meeting the code's glazing requirements. "Hotel operations are a unique combination of public-facing areas, spaces, and back house operation," zoning administrator Yaye Diatta told the council during a slide presentation.

The appeal followed a February 17 BZA hearing in which votes on the required findings failed to reach a controlling outcome. Staff recommended approval of the variance for the north facade, and testimony from the project team and neighborhood councils emphasized design mitigations such as public art, awnings and active uses along other frontages.

Appellant and project representatives, including Mike Hamm and project manager Carolyn Wolf, said the design balances active street frontage with operational needs. "We believe the staff recommendation for this variance and for this project properly recognizes the practical limitations of the overall site," Hamm said.

Union Park District Council also testified in support, saying the design achieves an activated streetscape while accommodating hotel operations. After public testimony, Councilmember Buie moved to grant the appeal; the council approved the motion with no recorded opposition.

What the decision does: The council’s vote removes the BZA denial and allows the project team to proceed with the proposed ground-floor treatment on the north facade subject to any conditions the council or staff specified in the record. The motion was recorded as passing 7 in favor, none opposed.

Next steps: Project approvals and building permits remain subject to standard land-use and building-review processes; the council’s decision resolves the variance appeal but does not by itself authorize construction.