International Hotel & St. Mary's Catholic Center

site development

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	In the aftermath of the demolition then mayor, Dianne Feinstein established a committee to work with Four Seas Investment Corporation to create a public/private partnership that would re-build housing where the hotel stood.
	This initiated a frustrating, often delayed process of re-developing the site, always under close scrutiny by various local groups.
	After nothing was built for 18 years and with continued pressure from activists for a new building that would fill the hole in the community left by the I-Hotel, in the 1980's the owners agreed to include subsidized, low-income housing in whatever plans were made
	3 failed proposals to develop the site were submitted. In 1987 an agreement was reached to build an 11 story tower for senior housing and an 8 story commercial building on the site – 3 years later, this deal fell apart, however, a zoning height variance was granted for this plan. Once the height limit was raised, the land became much more valuable, so any development had to be dense to be economically feasible.
	"The value of the site was based on previous approvals of an oversized development envelope.  We knew that a tower would rise from the midst of small scale neighbors – definitely not our preference.  So we though about how it might fill out a family of nearby tall buildings, yet present a more delicate face to surrounding streets. "  (Powell, April 1997 Metropolis) Bob Herman, FAIA