Copper Leaf Hotel

Hoffman finds a niche with the Copper Leaf

By Rebecca R. Konya

Weary business travelers and patrons of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center have a new place to rest their heads with the recent completion of the Copper Leaf Hotel — Appleton's first boutique hotel.

The 73-room luxury hotel, which accepted its first guests in January, sits at the intersection of College Avenue and Superior Street on the site of a former JCPenney store — a building that was vacant for more than 20 years before it was demolished in July 2002 to make way for the Copper Leaf.

"The investment group felt there was a niche in the Appleton market that wasn't currently being served," said Steve Jamroz, project architect for Hoffman LLC, which served as construction manager, architect and structural engineer for the project.

Although Hoffman toured several other boutique hotels during the project's initial planning stages, the firm ultimately relied on its own vision to develop the Copper Leaf's intimate atmosphere. Hoffman drew heavily on small hotels' service-oriented nature when developing the overall concept of the project, explained Jamroz.

"We took that concept and applied it to both the outside and inside of the hotel," he said. "We broke down the scale of the building to give it a more intimate feel."

While Hoffman worked with Minneapolis-based, interior-design firm Arthur Schuster Inc. to dress the hotel's interior, all other design work was done in-house. The finely detailed exterior incorporates several materials, including brick, stone, steel, EFFIS and glass to differentiate between the base, middle and top elevations of the building. In the spring, landscaping elements like tree grates will be added to further soften the streetscape along Superior Street.

Inside the 61,000-square-foot, five-story building, the upscale hotel's highly personalized service is again carried through the design. The lower level features a whirlpool and fitness room, and plans are under way for a full-service day spa.

The first floor includes a boardroom, smaller conference rooms and a business center. Guest rooms are located on the second through fifth floors. The most elaborate suites feature separate sleeping and living quarters, whirlpool tubs, two-way fireplaces and plasma televisions. Jamroz said all guest rooms are equipped with DVD players and fully stocked minibars.

Although initial plans did not call for a full-scale restaurant, Hoffman acquired a neighboring building during construction and converted it into a chic eatery — Patina's at the Copper Leaf, which opened in February. But adding a second building after construction had already begun posed several challenges.

	Project name: Copper Leaf Hotel Location: Appleton Submitting Company: Hoffman LLC, Appleton Construction Manager: Hoffman LLC Architect: Hoffman LLC Engineers: Hoffman LLC and Larson Engineering of Wisconsin, Appleton Owner: Fox Cities Hotel Investors LLC Project Cost: $6.6 million Start Date: Spring 2003 Completion Date: December 2003

"There were issues in connecting the two buildings and carrying through the exterior design elements," Jamroz said.

A failing foundation wall discovered during the demolition of the department store also represented a major challenge early on. Hoffman opted to leave the crumbling wall intact and build a new foundation wall 10 feet inward. Jamroz said the solution eliminated the need to drive sheet pilings, an unsuitable option in Appleton's bustling downtown business district.

But despite the construction challenges, the Copper Leaf exudes superior hospitality inside and out — just as Hoffman envisioned.