HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-2020 Public Comment - C&D Kraus - Armory Hotel Project Application 19410From: Brian Krueger
To: Agenda
Subject: FW: Armory Hotel: Application 19410 - Public Comment
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 2:18:40 PM
Brian Krueger | Development Review Manager, Community Development
City of Bozeman | 20 East Olive St. | P.O. Box 1230 | Bozeman, MT 59771
406.582.2259 | bkrueger@bozeman.net | www.bozeman.net
From: Chris Kraus <chrisakraus@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2020 8:20 AM
To: Brian Krueger <BKrueger@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: FW: Armory Hotel: Application 19410 - Public Comment
Mr. Krueger,
We are writing to offer our comments on the Armory Hotel project. To start, as long-time residents
of Bozeman, we were absolutely thrilled to finally see the shuttered and blighted Armory Building
take on a new life as the Armory Hotel. Further, we were pleased and relieved to learn that the
development group honored the history of Fred Willson by not only keeping the existing structure,
but carrying forward elements of the historical architectural design into the new improvements,
including the guest room tower. While the hotel is not yet complete, it is clearly apparent that the
development group has designed and built an upscale, four-star hotel that is consistent in
appearance, quality, and size to many other new four-star hotels that we have visited in neighboring
cities such as Denver, Boise, Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and Eugene.
Given the growth of the Bozeman lodging market over the last 15 years with predominately
nationally affiliated chain hotels, the Armory Hotel is a welcome change as the only boutique,
upscale, full-service hotel in downtown Bozeman. The Hotel will be an anchor in the community for
visiting business and leisure travelers, and for groups, all of whom will ultimately spend their
discretionary income in our downtown community shops and restaurants. Further, given the ground
floor and ninth floor restaurants and bars, the Armory Hotel is sure to be a popular venue for locals
to visit and enjoy throughout the year. Lastly, the vast amount of public meeting and event space
will undoubtedly be extremely popular for meetings, weddings, corporate parties, fundraisers, and
music events, and subsequently, the lodging demand brought into our downtown by the Armory will
not only fill this hotel, but also provide “overflow” lodging demand to many of the other downtown
hotels such as the Lark, Element, and others under construction such as the Residence Inn, or soon
to be under construction such as the AC by Marriott. By these metrics, the Armory Hotel is going to
be an economic windfall for the downtown community, city of Bozeman, Gallatin County, and all of
Southwest Montana.
Based on the following, we are in favor of all modifications to the original design and hope that the
Armory Hotel can be approved as submitted and allowed to open without delay.
Chris and Danielle Kraus.