As part of a Planned Development Area review by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, designated developers Normandy Partners/Harbinger Development presented their latest plans on Tuesday night for the Haymarket Hotel at the Greenway’s Parcel 9 along Blackstone Street. Haymarket Hotel has been described as the “third leg” of the emerging “Market District” centered around the longstanding Haymarket Pushcarts and new Boston Public Market.
The proposal includes a 145,000 square foot hotel and retail pavilion on the Greenway Parcel 9, a vacant triangular parcel adjacent to Haymarket that came out of the Big Dig on property owned by the State’s Mass. Department of Transportation (MassDoT). No on-site parking is planned. The hotel will use valet service to area garages. The developer has agreed to use union-labor for construction although future hotel operations are yet to be determined.
In response to community feedback and height concerns from the Mass. Historical Commission, the developer has lowered the highest section of the building from 103 feet to 65 feet in the latest plan. The first floor market hall has also been reduced in height extending out toward the North End Greenway parks along Haymarket.
The hotel would be 5 to 6 stories with 225 rooms under a to-be-determined mid-priced flag. A community room and restaurant are planned to be included as well. Public restrooms will be available at the hotel on the second floor.
At the community meeting, questions were raised about the renovation on Blackstone Street and how the non-Parcel 9 property owners would cooperate with the plan. A representative of a tour bus association asked about the accessibility for buses to park and dropoff/pickup tourists along Surface Road.
Questions were also raised regarding the retail component and whether it should be “market-related” or “general retail”. The issue gets at how much restaurant/bar space should be allowed, including outside tables, versus market functions.
The proponent has submitted their Planned Development Area (PDA) Application and the full submission can be viewed via this link. Comments can be sent to the BRA through May 19, 2016 via email at Christopher.Tracy@boston.gov.
View the video above for the complete presentation and discussion at the May 3, 2016 community meeting.
I would love if the retail in the project served the residents…a hardware store? ( And not Restoration Hardware) We have plenty of cafes and coffee shops. Tourists have plenty of places aimed at them. Let’s get something different.
It’s a hotel on the Greenway. Catering to tourists is what hotels do. The retail will be keeping with the Market District theme.Originally they were talking about an Eataly type store (which is going into the Pru ) A hardware store is not going to happen there. Here is a list of nearby hardware stores. https://www.google.com/#q=hardware%20stores%20near%2002113&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=42370089,-71059072,794&tbm=lcl&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:2&rlfi=hd:;si: