Downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s former Green Tree Inn & Suites will reopen as the Oxbow Hotel following a revamp by locally based SDS Architects and Minneapolis-based Shelter Architecture + Design.
To debut next summer, the independent boutique hotel’s name references the nearby Half Moon Lake, an oxbow lake, as well as the area’s logging and agricultural roots, where oxbows yoked the oxen used by lumberjacks and farmers.
Interiors will channel the outdoors with a strong connection to Eau Claire’s cultural scene. An open glass workspace in the lobby will host an artist in residence, who will interact with guests and offer workshops.
The 30-room property will center on a new bar, restaurant, and music venue with a focus on jazz. A main partner in the project, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, an Eau Claire native, will spearhead the venue, which will feature furniture that is locally crafted from reclaimed wood.
“We want to make a place in Eau Claire where our rich tradition of jazz can meet with other types of improvised performances and songwriting, where we put the emphasis on cultivating a calendar of quality music appreciation,” says Vernon.
Guestrooms will be spread across two buildings: a circa-1940s three-story structure featuring two-room suites; and a 1960s building channeling a motel vibe. Both will be designed to mimic a modern northern lodge aesthetic.
The venue’s restaurant and bar areas will feature a courtyard and patio space with couches, firepits, and a grassy area for classic games.
