Key Points:AI-assisted summary
- The West Lafayette city council rejected a proposed 15-story mixed-use development near Purdue University.
- Council members who voted against the project cited concerns about the building's height and its visual impact.
- Purdue students spoke in favor of the development, describing a difficult and competitive local housing market.
- The developer had offered to reserve 30 of the 816 beds at a more affordable rent, a first for the area.
West Lafayette, IN — A 15-story, mixed-use development on the long-vacant Chauncey Annex, situated diagonally from construction on a sprawling high rise at the former Chauncey Hill Mall, was struck down by the city council Monday night over the objections of a score of Purdue University students.
"I really am concerned about us going to a higher level," council member Larry Leverenz told Texas-based developer LV Collective.
The proposed building would have stood 15 stories, with steps down to 12 stories on the back. That's taller than the 13-story Chauncey Hill development across from it, and it was a sticking point for many of the five councilors who voted against the proposal.
Of the eight councilors present (David Sanders could not attend because of a flight cancellation, Leverenz said), Leverenz, Colin Lee, James Blanco, Rabita Rajkarnikar and Iris Bellisario voted no. Nick Schenkel, Stacey Burr and Kathy Parker voted yes.
The Area Plan Commission staff report on the development, which it recommended with an 11-4 vote, shared similar height concerns.
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