Chinatown has been undergoing a bit of change, lately. And the latest change that's under review at the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) is the addition of a 17-story, 250-room hotel on Essex Street. It would stand tall, next to its immediate neighbors, providing the height variation that's common with buildings old and new in Boston's skyline.
New York based Westbrook Partners is behind this proposal, and according to the BBJ, they like the potential behind the numbers: the hotel occupancy rate in Boston and Cambridge is a high 81 percent. Coupled with the 16 million plus leisure and business travelers that come to the area, this is a very good industry to make money.
This would mean that the freshly renovated historic Godfrey Hotel that opened on Washington Street, just a little ways away, is doing well.
The plan cites business from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as a reason why Boston needs more rooms, though it's arguable that the hotel is in the same vicinity, even with the silver line and other transportation options.
While plans were filed in October, the green light to actually start construction wouldn't happen until, best case, October 2017. So get used to seeing cranes in the sky for the foreseeable future. Get more details on the plan here.