The long-debated Haymarket Hotel proposal at Parcel 9 along Blackstone Street and the Rose Kennedy Greenway was approved on Thursday night by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Board of Directors. The multi-year bid and review process appears to be coming to an end.
With a revised design as part of the Blackstone block and a lower proposed height, the designated developers Normandy Partners/Harbinger Development received broader support during a recent North End meeting helping the project move ahead with BRA staff and board approval.
As part of a Planned Development Area reviewed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the market hall pavilion is expected to bring the “third leg” of the emerging “Market District” centered around the longstanding Haymarket Pushcarts and new Boston Public Market. The project’s architect is Perkins + Will.
The $90 million proposal includes a 145,000 square foot hotel (5-6 stories) and one-level 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 hotel would be 5 to 6 stories with 225 rooms under a to-be-determined mid-priced flag. A community room, restaurant and public restrooms are planned to be included as well.
Historic Blackstone Street will be renovated as part of the project. At Haymarket, the pushcart vendors will have 50 defined area stalls, along with awnings, dedicated water and utilities.
In response to community feedback and height concerns from the Mass. Historical Commission, the developer 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.
In the below video, Victor Brogna of the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) gave members an update after the BRA approval while raising some questions about the proposed retail use and public restrooms.
Project plan Much improved. The lowered height makes it suitable to the area, but best part, helping out the Haymarket pushcarts!
Curious: Does this new setup mean that the Haymarket is no longer going to block Hanover St. every Thu night to Sat night?
As I understand it, the Haymarket pushcarts will continue to operate along that section of Hanover Street. The section along Blackstone Street are where the pushcarts will have new stalls as a result of the Parcel 9 project.
do you realize how many rat families this hotel going to displace? those rat families have been there for generations! where are these rat families supposed to go now? the city clearly does not care about rat families at all. the city only cares about businesses and the all-mighty buck!