MCCA Hotels: Aloft & Element | 371-401 D Street | South Boston

[BeeLine]

Ground Breaking held Dec 13, 2013

http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/12/southie_hall_hotels_under_way

http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/67bb06e9-79bb-4fe9-8d0e-566e273cfaeb


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MCCA Hotels (Aloft & Element) 1/01/14


MCCA Hotels (Aloft & Element) 1/01/14

 

[whighlander]

Re: MCCA Hotels & Garage/371-401 D Street

Ground Breaking held Dec 13, 2013

http://bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/2013/12/southie_hall_hotels_under_way

Tommy looks tired -- time for the new team to take over

However, it looks like its been a serious amount of time since the new mayor has dug a hole

 

[xec]

Re: MCCA Hotels: Aloft & Element | 371-401 D Street | Seaport

 

[Downburst]

Re: MCCA Hotels: Aloft & Element | 371-401 D Street | Seaport

Colorful! And no "random design elements" bull either. Looks like some ground-level retail, too. These could be nice.

 

[Brad Plaid]

Re: MCCA Hotels: Aloft & Element | 371-401 D Street | Seaport

Quite nice, Aloft is a design conscious brand. It's Elkus though and their renderings can be deceptive (75 Ames Kendall Sq.) I'd be more confident in the end result if this had been ADD Inc.

 

[pel_north]

Do I see a multi-colored uplighting on the crown?

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Nice to see an Aloft in the city. I stay at the one in Lexington every so often. Where is this exactly? Is it close to a subway station? It sort of looks like a no-mans land. I am thinking of a business traveler who wants to walk up the street and get dinner or get to meetings in the Financial district and realize that they are a bit out on the edges.

 

[datadyne007]

Nice to see an Aloft in the city. I stay at the one in Lexington every so often. Where is this exactly? Is it close to a subway station? It sort of looks like a no-mans land. I am thinking of a business traveler who wants to walk up the street and get dinner or get to meetings in the Financial district and realize that they are a bit out on the edges.

I found these (and tons more images) in the Community Meeting presentation from 03/18/13:

Bonus:

 

[ParkerChris]

Nice to see an Aloft in the city. I stay at the one in Lexington every so often. Where is this exactly? Is it close to a subway station? It sort of looks like a no-mans land. I am thinking of a business traveler who wants to walk up the street and get dinner or get to meetings in the Financial district and realize that they are a bit out on the edges.

Very short walk to the heart of the Seaport Distric and silver line. My understanding is that retail/restaurants will open on the ground level of both hotels as well as at the "Flats on D" development next door. MJ O'Connors, City Bar, Birtch Bar, a soon-to-be steakhouse are right at the Weston.

Potential is there, and already beats the options around the Javits in NYC or McCormick Place in Chi.

 

[dshoost88]

Potential is there, and already beats the options around the Javits in NYC or McCormick Place in Chi.

I went to the ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago this fall and, though impressed by McCormick Place, was absolutely shocked at how few dining options there were immediately around the convention center. Fortunately, arrangements were made for convention-goers to enjoy exclusive dining at Soldier's Field's United Club level and some swanky bars in the Loop, but finding breakfast or lunch a short walk from the convention center was a tall order.

I reviewed the PNF and it looks like these two hotels could add up to 5 or 6 new restaurants and cafes along D Street. Among these, other Seaport options, Fort Point area options, and the Seaport Square infill, BCEC will be quite marketable compared to competing centers nationally.

 

[ParkerChris]

There is also some opportunity for West Broadway to get into the game with about a 10 min walk from the hotels. This could allow for much needed independent restaurants with moderate pricing to open up and succeed. There is a mix-use development in the works at D and West Broadway, with plans for restaurant use at the ground level.

 

[choo]

I went to the ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago this fall and, though impressed by McCormick Place, was absolutely shocked at how few dining options there were immediately around the convention center. Fortunately, arrangements were made for convention-goers to enjoy exclusive dining at Soldier's Field's United Club level and some swanky bars in the Loop, but finding breakfast or lunch a short walk from the convention center was a tall order.

I reviewed the PNF and it looks like these two hotels could add up to 5 or 6 new restaurants and cafes along D Street. Among these, other Seaport options, Fort Point area options, and the Seaport Square infill, BCEC will be quite marketable compared to competing centers nationally.

Yes, I was in a convention in Chicago in the spring. I was unimpressed by the immediate area around the convention center. Contrary to most convention centers, both of Boston's are in premier locations. Hopefully that helps lure people deeper into the neighborhoods and also continues to support development throughout.

 

[hockey92]

I hope the top has some color changing lights or something like the pru

 

[Cliff Clavin]

There is a mix-use development in the works at D and West Broadway, with plans for restaurant use at the ground level.

Do you know which corner? The BK?

 

[ParkerChris]

Do you know which corner? The BK?

Across the street from the BK at 301-305 West Broadway (Google Map):

Here is the globe article - http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/2013/12/hold_seventy-three_units_between_three_projects_approved_for.html

 

[Cliff Clavin]

^ Makes sense. Although I have to imagine the BK's days are numbered.

 

[ParkerChris]

^ Makes sense. Although I have to imagine the BK's days are numbered.

I sure hope so, it's one of the more popular druggie gathering spots on Broadway. Definitely an area undergoing serious demographic changes and a lot to be desired on the retail/commercial front.

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Not sure I follow. I was referring to people staying here and heading to meetings in the city or want some nearby nightlife, not proximity to the convention center. That said, it does seem to be a lot closer to the new waterfront stuff than I thought.

Potential is there, and already beats the options around the Javits in NYC or McCormick Place in Chi.

 

[ParkerChris]

Not sure I follow. I was referring to people staying here and heading to meetings in the city or want some nearby nightlife, not proximity to the convention center. That said, it does seem to be a lot closer to the new waterfront stuff than I thought.

My mistake, comparison was made assuming that you knew the hotels were right next to the BCEC.

 

[markhb]

Not sure I follow. I was referring to people staying here and heading to meetings in the city or want some nearby nightlife, not proximity to the convention center. That said, it does seem to be a lot closer to the new waterfront stuff than I thought.

Please excuse me if you're already aware of this, but in data's first photo, you can see an elevated walkway extending from the front of the BCEC to the World Trade Center. The WTC Silver Line stop is in the middle of that walkway (and visible in the photo if you know where to look), so there's the transit stop to go with the Seaport attractions.

So far as the West Broadway part of the discussion goes, I've never really been in that part of Southie, but I did take a look around it on Google Maps and it certainly didn't look like someplace I'd be anxious to walk through as a stranger to Boston. Not to speak ill of the neighborhood (my great-grandfather's sister lived down there someplace), but at the very least a long street of triple-deckers screams "there's nothing down here" to an out-of-towner, especially with Seaport Boulevard beckoning from the opposite direction.