Syracuse, N.Y. — A plan to convert an independently branded 83-room downtown Syracuse hotel into a Hampton Inn could face an unexpected regulatory hurdle aimed at preserving the building’s historic character.
Visions Hotels, which operates about 70 chain lodging establishments in Upstate New York, recently purchased the Parkview Hotel on East Genesee Street in downtown Syracuse from local developer Norm Swanson. The company has submitted plans to replace windows as part of a conversion to a Hampton Inn, a brand owned by the Hilton chain.
The style of the proposed new windows has raised eyebrows at the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board, which reviewed the plans at its Jan. 8 meeting as part of the city’s minor site plan application process. LPB approval is not necessary, but the city’s zoning law requires board comments on projects involving buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic Places…