Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | Roxbury

Re: Alexandra Hotel

^ Yup, post before yours shared it out as well :)
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

BussesAin'tTrains said:
^ Yup, post before yours shared it out as well :)
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The buyer referenced here (Common Management Group) backed out, but there is word from the South End facebook group that another is on the cusp:

When the world says give up, hope whispers try it one more time...

We have a new buyer, a new and intriguing proposal, an experienced and accomplished team, and a new vision for the long-awaited transformation of the Hotel Alexandra at Washington and Mass. Ave.

JB Ventures/TCR Development (with CBT Architects), a respected development team have signed a P&S to purchase the Hotel Alexandra, completely restore the Gothic exterior facade, and do a complete interior reconstruction resulting in the build-out of a 158 room boutique hotel.

In order to make this development proposal work, a set-back addition of some 4-5 additional stories will be required in addition to utilization of the adjoining currently empty space to the left of the existing hotel structure. The interior has structural compromise issues, so much of it has already been lost.

The team is only in the preliminary exploration and community engagement phase of their due diligence, so no final design decisions have been made, only the broad contours of what the proposal must include to be a successful project. But the architectural team has already created conceptual drawings of profile, footprint, and new addition impact on the overall neighborhood.

The team has met with the South End Landmarks District Commission (a subcommittee meeting to render an advisory opinion) and a representative group of neighborhood association leaders during the past week and thus far, all reactions are generally positive

As a neighborhood boutique hotel, the current vision is for an open rooftop (accessible and open to the public), no site parking, consideration to moving the silver line bus stop (including shelter and kiosk) from directly in front of the hotel to a bit further down on Washington Street toward Dudley to allow for front access to the Alexandra and a lively accessible sidewalk cafe presence. No decision has been made in terms of creating the hotel as part of an existing hotel groupingm or as a stand alone. Hotel brokers/consultants have been engaged.

The team will be meeting with the BPDA Development Review folks next week and intend to reach out to other South End organizations and abutters as plans begin to take shape. We have invited them to make a presentation on their progress, status, and vision at the South End Forum meeting on September 11.

Fingers crossed all, we may be approaching the end of a new beginning for this grand old structure.

See their website for some of their work which most recently includes 10 Farnsworth at Congress and two projects in Bay Village including the pending Erbaluce,

http://jbreventures.com/
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Re: Alexandra Hotel

This Sun article basically says alot of the same things:

If all goes according to preliminary plans, a new team of developers could put the ‘hotel’ back in the Hotel Alexandra.

JB Ventures and TLC Development, along with their architects from CBT, presented a new plan for the long-derelict Hotel Alexandra that includes developing a 150-room hotel on both parcels while saving the façade and adding a new, nine-story building around and above it.

Jas Bhogal of JB Ventures and Tom Calus of TCR presented their brand new hotel plan to the South End Landmarks Commission (SELC) on Monday morning at City Hall – revealing a very preliminary plan that was well-received by commissioners and those from the neighborhood in attendance. The plan for the Alexandra takes a different approach than developer Eric Hoagland, who has a purchase and sales agreement on the property and is thinking of a residential campus that includes the Alexandra.

Bhogal told SELC that they looked at residential – as that’s primarily what they develop – but it didn’t make sense given the compromised structure that is behind the façade. There is nothing historic left inside the building, SELC said.

“We thought about the condo market first, but couldn’t make the numbers work,” he said. “We also tried a few ideas for apartment buildings. We believe the best use for the building is a hotel. A hotel has to have a certain number of rooms to be successful. That magic number is 150…The thing we need to know is if this will fly in the community and we can get a certain number of rooms in there so we can have a viable project. If it isn’t viable, we won’t pursue it and we’ll let someone else pursue it.”

The idea would be to restore and refurbish the remarkable façade on the Washington Street and Massachusetts Avenue sides. On the vacant lot next door and filling in behind the façade would be a nine-story, new construction piece that would be set back. One example cited by CBT of successfully doing this is in Dudley Square at the old Blue Store – where that remarkable façade was restored and a brand new building built behind and above it.

There would be no parking at the hotel, but there would be a public roof deck. The first floor would feature a café/restaurant within the old façade area, while the hotel entrance would be on the side. Loading zones would be behind the building.

The rooms would be small, with 19 rooms per floor from floors two through five. On floors six through nine, there would be 18 rooms each. The building would be going from 65 feet, 8-inches to 107 feet, 2-inches.

Vickie Alani of CBT said they hope to make it a grand building that would be the pride of the South End and a gateway to the neighborhood.

“We want to make it something the South End is proud of – a neighborhood amenity,” she said. “I think it was an attractive gateway at one time, and I think it can be again.”

The proposal was met with enthusiasm from at least two commissioners, and from Chester Square Neighbors President Carol Blair.

“I’m delighted it is a hotel and not condos or apartments,” said Commissioner Catherine Hunt. “In that area, there is nothing except the Hampton Inn and the Roundhouse. The people walking by the street look shell-shocked and wonder where they are. The hotel will provide activity there. The neighborhood really needs this.”

Commissioner Peter Sanborn said he could picture a hotel there.

“I’m not a developer, but I’ve often thought that building was more suited for a hotel and not residential space,” he said. “I think the height of the building may be a trend across the city as a whole…Specifically, I’m not all that concerned about the height. I would be more concerned that it doesn’t stick out from the existing context and it’s not so odd compared to the things around it.”

Said Blair, “I see it going well if what I’m seeing today is what I get…The way you incorporate modern height with historic preservation will signify to the neighborhood, ‘This is how it’s done.’ The work you do here is going to be very important.”

One clear concern is the height of the addition above the building, as well as the details of the addition.

Alani said they are looking at metal and glass at the moment. Some wanted the addition to be unique, but Commissioners also said there is something to be said for making the addition very plain so as not to take away from the unique historic façade.

Some wondered if it could come down to eight stories, which would make it only three stories above the existing building.

Bhogal said less height and fewer rooms are possible, but it would mean a lesser brand of hotel with fewer amenities.

“It is possible, but it would not be a Class A product,” he said. “The hotel flags in that category are in the Hampton Inn line and not a fully amenity hotel.”

Bhogal said they have plans to meet with the neighbors this week, including the Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association, Chester Square Neighbors, Hurley Blocks and the South End Forum.

He also said they are in the process of taking the project to the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) very soon. The BPDA has taken a keen interest in the Hotel Alexandra, but a spokesperson this week said Director Brian Golden would reserve his comments for a later date.

“Give us an opportunity to detail this and I think we can make it work,” said Bhogal.
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https://thebostonsun.com/2018/07/14...se-hotel-use-facade-renovation-for-alexandra/
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

I like the angle of making it an amenity for the neighborhood. Maybe they only want a small hotel but I think they should be pushing for more. If they're going to do a facadectomy they might as well go bigger. The neighborhood isnt going to complain about height here the building is a huge blight and adding normal human beings to dilute the drug zombies is big plus.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

Better than letting it collapse into dust I suppose.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel

mods, can this thread be moved to "Development Projects" and renamed:

Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

ewrqbML.jpg


not sure where this render came from,
but found it here:
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/boston-herald/20180810/281775629986569
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

Ah hell na.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

i like it's utility very much. Can it go taller?
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

No, actually, it can't.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

It looks as if a boring imitation of a Charles Luckman building is assaulting the Alexandra.

This should be...better.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

Very low quality almost sketch render. This could swing wildly in either direction. It looks like a carbon copy of that building in fort point just twice as tall, I forget the name already. Even with the same knocked out windows on top. That building came out nice so if this looks like that itll be fine and actually come out pretty good. Right now it just looks like a 0 effort render.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

^^^ I think if it was black, like 10 Farnsworth bldg., it would look better.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

BeeLine said:
^^^ I think if it was black, like 10 Farnsworth bldg., it would look better.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was thinking it looks an awful lot like 10 farnsworth.
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

Looks like the glass turtle church in the south end
 
Re: Alexandra Hotel Renovation | 1769 Washington St | South End

mods, please mark this thread as "proposed"
 
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