Urbana-Lincoln Hotel may become historic landmark

By Eric Heisig

The Urbana City Council is planning to vote on whether or not the Urbana-Lincoln Hotel should be designated as a historic landmark at their meeting Monday night.

The hotel, located at 209 S. Broadway Ave., has been in the city of Urbana since its opening in 1924. It is currently owned by Global Hotel Management of Normal, Ill.

Under the Urbana Zoning Ordinance, the hotel has to meet specific criteria in order to be designated a historic landmark. The requirements include having significant value as part of the community in a variety of ways, associating with an important figure in history, the work of a noted architect, a design unique to a specific period in time and identifiable as a significant landmark in the community.

In a May 29 memorandum issued by Urbana’s Department of Community Development Services, the city of Urbana describes all of the reasons the Urbana-Lincoln Hotel should be designated a historic landmark, which passes all of the criteria.

Robert Myers, planning director for the city of Urbana, said if a location is designated a historic landmark, any changes to the exterior of the building would need to be approved by the Landmark Historic Preservation Commission.

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“The local landmark designation is where landmark protection is,” Myers said. “(The Historic Preservation Commission) would need to review plans for exterior changes, and if it meets their guidelines, they would propose whether or not the guidelines are met.”

The Urbana City Council meets on Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Urbana City Building, 400 S. Vine St.