ASPEN – —The Aspen City Council voted 4-1 on Monday to approve the introduction of an ordinance that aims to preserve the Little Annie’s and Benton buildings on East Hyman Avenue from future demolition while making development concessions to the owner of those properties.
Council members will continue their review of the proposed ordinance, which mirrors current development plans by Aspen Core Ventures LLC, at their next meeting on Feb. 13. A public hearing on the issue will be held at the same meeting.
Aspen Core Ventures, represented in negotiations with the city by managing partner Nikos Hecht, wants to renovate the Benton Building and build a new mixed-use, three-story structure on a nearby empty lot at the corner of East Hyman Avenue and South Hunter Street.
In exchange for restoring the Benton Building and not tearing down the Annie’s building next door — thereby preserving them under the city’s new AspenModern program — the owner-developer wants the city to approve plans that require less expensive mitigation for affordable housing.
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