The Old Mohawk Proposes Addition and Patio Expansion Ahead of German Village Hearing

Design Collective has submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness application on behalf of property owner NCR Ventures proposing renovations and a building expansion at The Old Mohawk restaurant in German Village [source:city-accela] [source:plan-cover] [source:plan-site]. The proposal, filed under city application COA2600996, is scheduled for review before the German Village Commission on October 7, 2026 [source:city-accela] [source:plan-cover]. City filings list the submission as an in-progress review rather than an approved building permit or construction announcement [source:city-accela].

The property at 819 Mohawk St. sits on a 0.09-acre, 3,767-square-foot lot at the corner of East Kossuth Street [source:plan-site]. Under the application narrative, the project would remove a damaged existing rear addition and roof to construct a 549-square-foot, one-story addition featuring matching glazing, an accessible entrance, a recessed trash area, a skylight, and dedicated mechanical space screened by a parapet [source:city-accela] [source:plan-site] [source:plan-narrative] [source:plan-elev-east]. The plan also calls for a 500-square-foot basement expansion beneath the new addition to provide additional storage space [source:plan-site] [source:plan-narrative].

Outdoor dining would more than double under the filing, expanding the existing 307-square-foot patio by 330 square feet to 637 square feet [source:plan-site]. The expanded patio would feature BCA Antique Materials "Antique Tooled Finish Patrimoine Checker Tiles," bronze stanchions with matching chains, and scalloped awnings finished in Sunbrella "Paxton Stone" shade fabric [source:plan-materials]. Schematic floor plans establish a total capacity of 205 seats, dividing patrons between 159 interior seats—including bar seating, first-floor dining, and second-floor private rooms—and 46 outdoor patio seats [source:plan-seating].

Exterior architectural alterations to the historic brick structure include adding matching roof dormers to the north and south elevations, replacing non-accessible doors, and installing NW Wood 540 operable wood windows finished in Sherwin Williams "Urbane Bronze SW7048" to match existing mullion configurations [source:plan-narrative] [source:plan-materials]. The new addition will be clad in smooth-finish James Hardie panels, while the new dormers will feature 5 1/4-inch smooth Hardie Plank siding, both painted Benjamin Moore "Hudson Bay 1680" [source:plan-materials].

Because the site is located in an R-2F residential zoning district, the commercial expansion requires multiple zoning variances [source:plan-site]. Design Collective has requested approval to continue and expand the non-conforming restaurant use, alongside an increase in building lot coverage to 72% (2,721 square feet), exceeding the district's 50% limit [source:plan-site]. The proposal also seeks a variance to provide zero on-site parking spaces instead of the 78 required spaces calculated after code reductions, with the applicant proposing valet service to accommodate guests [source:plan-site]. The historic commission must review the exterior modifications before any zoning adjustments or construction permits proceed [source:city-accela] [source:plan-cover].