Post #528454 by thejab on Thu, May 6, 2010 5:57 PM

Yesterday:

Fairmont's owners don't seem interested in the least in keeping the Tonga around: "The hotel is going to become more intimate and upscale, and the food and beverage will need to reflect that. If I asked today to put a use like the Tonga Room in this traditional Beaux Arts hotel, do you think I'd be able to get permission? It's so inconsistent."

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/around-town/food-drink/Pro-Con-List-and-the-Tonga-Room-92917504.html

Today:

Neighbors and the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission’s three-person architectural-review committee criticized the tower proposal Wednesday during a hearing.

The modern tower could be appropriate in the Mission Bay or South of Market neighborhoods, officials said, but it doesn’t mesh with the older character of Nob Hill.

Chairman Alan Martinez said the tower’s construction would violate laws that protect the historic character of the adjacent Fairmont Hotel.

The tower would obscure views of the hotel and occupy the original site of the historic building’s garden and terrace, he said.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Fairmont-tower-faces-criticism-92937179.html#ixzz0nCV9JQOe

HA, take THAT developers!

No tower = no financial incentive for the project = the Tonga Room stays!