Originally envisioned as a three-building complex on Dunlop Street, across Spring Creek from North Water Street, the project has been reduced in scope while maintaining key development elements.

Historic Architecture Review Board (HARB) Administrator Gina Thompson presented the revised designs to Council and addressed questions before the vote.

“As you probably are aware, the project changed last spring,” said Thompson. “The Waterfront Development Group came and instead of having three buildings, they changed the scope of the project to two.”

The revised plan features a nationally branded boutique hotel with 93 guest rooms and a farm-to-table restaurant offering rooftop views, adjacent to a 268-space parking garage and a residential condominium building with ground-floor commercial space.

PHOTO PROVIDED The provided images is a plan of the Bellefonte Waterfront Project, courtesy of Laucks Architects, P.C.

The Bellefonte Waterfront Project is being advanced by the Borough of Bellefonte with the help of architects, Laucks Architects, P.C., and Edward L. Olsen, Jr.; engineering firms, Pennoni and PennTerra Engineering, Inc.; and design firm, Weber Murphy Fox.

The revised design was first presented in May of last year, at which time HARB asked architects at Laucks Architects, P.C. to refine the design of the joint parking, residential and commercial building to better match the historic aesthetic achieved in the hotel’s design.

“There was sort of a mismatch between the two buildings,” Thompson explained.

In December, HARB reviewed the new models and was impressed with the renderings. However, the presentation fell short of expectations, so the board requested a final cohesive design, which was presented last month.

“HARB members were impressed by the redesign presented by architect Peter Laucks and appreciated the changes made in response to discussions at the May 2024 and December 2024 HARB meetings,” Thompson wrote in a memo to Council. “They felt that the architectural features complemented the town’s historic aesthetic and that the revisions to Building 2 created a more cohesive relationship with the hotel’s design.”

PHOTO PROVIDED The provided image is a rendering of the Bellefonte Waterfront Project, courtesy of Laucks Architects, P.C.

Since their meeting in January, HARB, the developer and the architect agreed on some minor adjustments to both the Hotel and Building 2.

The modifications made after the original HARB approval include adding Juliet balconies on three hotel entrances (Dunlop, High and Creek sides), removing the second-floor walkout and adding corbels to the High Street side of the hotel. On Building 2, the railings and window colors will be changed from white to black, which Councilwoman Joanne Tosti-Vasey noted was to match the wrought iron found on other downtown buildings.

Councilwoman Rita Purnell asked Thompson if HARB and the team working on the Bellefonte Waterfront Project had a projected start date. Thompson explained that, due to the need to meet with the Planning Commission, pursue grants, conduct a lot of consolidation and finalize the land development plan, the process will take a few months before construction can begin.

PHOTO PROVIDED The provided image is a rendering of the Bellefonte Waterfront Project, courtesy of Laucks Architects, P.C.