After 15 years, the Crystal Corner Bar is finally getting a new neighbor -- an upscale one at that.

A long-vacant former gas station at the corner of Williamson and Baldwin is soon to become a three-story, 31-unit apartment building with retail stores on the bottom floor.

The Madison Plan Commission Monday night approved the $3.3 project from developer Scott Lewis and CMI Inc. Lewis hopes to start construction this year and open by August 2010.

Plans call for apartments -- from studios to two-bedrooms -- on the second and third floors, with 2,400 square feet of retail space on the street level, which could be broken into three separate spaces.

There are 24 underground parking spaces and nine surface spaces behind the building. One older house at 310 S. Baldwin St would be torn down to make way for the project.

"It's going to be a great addition to the neighborhood," commission member Judy Olson told the developers. "Thanks for making it such a nice-looking building."

The site has undergone environmental remediation. It was once used as a de-facto neighborhood parking lot but has been off-limits for years.

In 2004, developers Mike Kohn and Jeff Jansen proposed a $5 million, four-story commercial and rental housing project at the corner. But the proposal faced strong neighborhood opposition over the height and scale and was eventually dropped.

There was some debate Monday before the commission over whether a new building there should match the existing older brick structures on Williamson Street or make a "bolder statement."

Project architect Randy Bruce and Lewis initially had a contemporary design that enjoyed neighborhood support. But after getting feedback from the Urban Design Commission, a compromise layout was chosen.

"It's a high-profile site so we wanted to try and do something that would stand out a little bit," said Lewis, a Madison native involved in two other major projects on the 800 block of Williamson Street: the 52-unit Williamson Place and the 36-unit Williamson Place II

Marquette Neighborhood Association board member Lindsey Lee praised the final product but admitted he'd prefer "21st Century architecture."

"I would have liked it to look like something built in 2010; this was a happy middle," said Lee, who owns the Ground Zero coffee shop four blocks from the apartment site.

Another issue Monday was whether to require that no more than 20 percent of the store front windows be covered. The city has been asking other retail stores to leave the windows open to create a more open, urban feel.

The 20 percent maximum coverage requirement was added to the Williamson Street project; but not without objection for commission member Michael Heifetz.

"I just don't believe we should be micro-managing at this level," said Heifetz.

Redesigned, smaller Edgwater

Also Monday, the commission heard an informational presentation from the Hammes Co., which is seeking city approval and $16 million in tax incremental financing for a redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel

Hammes president Robert Dunn told the commission about proposed changes to the project. They include reducing the height of a proposed new hotel tower from 11 to eight stories, going from 228 to 190 hotel rooms and cutting parking from 364 to 233 spaces.

Going any lower, he said, would compromise the financial viability of the project.

"This is as low as we can go," he told the commission.

The new layout provides a two-level terrace to Lake Mendota. Costs were also lowered from $109 to $93 million, with a new name "Edgewater at Mansion Hill" to honor the historic character of the neighborhood.

The commission asked questions of the developers but took no action.

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