The Stella Hotel & Ballroom

Kenosha, WI

Project Overview

Formerly known as The Heritage House, this historic hotel in downtown Kenosha had closed and was later damaged in a fire. Although the original plan was to demolish the building, strong public opposition led to a developer rebuilding the hotel and incorporating modern amenities. raSmith provided site design, landscape architecture and surveying services, helping to transform the dilapidated structure into an 80-room boutique hotel.

This $26 million project included a new addition that presented several site design challenges due to constraints with existing structures, buildings and roads. Maintaining vehicular access to an alley throughout construction added to the project’s complexity. The Stella Hotel & Ballroom redevelopment represents a successful collaboration between numerous public and private stakeholders and serves as a destination within the city’s Downtown District. Amenities include a restaurant, rooftop bar, exercise facility and conference center.

This project received an honorable mention for Best Arts/Hospitality Project in the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2020 Real Estate Awards.

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