A rendering of the new Residence Inn by Marriott hotel proposed for Arsenal Street in Watertown by developer Boylston Properties.
The new hotel proposed for Arsenal Street in Watertown will be run by Marriott and will be six stories tall and have nearly 150 rooms, developers announced Thursday night.
The hotel would be an extended stay hotel, and cater to businesses in and around Watertown, said Bill McQuillan, principle of Boylston Properties, the developer of the hotel and new owner of the Arsenal Mall – now known as the Arsenal Project. The hotel would be replace the former Saab dealership.
“We expect to draw from three to five miles away – businesses, international visitors to Perkins (School), universities and colleges in the area,” McQuillan said. “Harvard, for sure, and BU, BC and Bentley will all have customers here.”
Design
The rooms will have kitchenettes with a stove and refrigerator so guests staying for more than a few days can cook meals.
Fred Kramer, an architect with ADD Inc., said the design of the hotel will fit current styles, and will include materials such as metal, glass and materials that look like wood.
“The design is of this time, and looking to the future,” Kramer said. “It is not daring modern or historic referential.”
The top floor will include an outdoor seating area with a view of Boston, Kramer said.
Traffic and Transport
The hotel will have 115 parking spaces, which will be enough for both the guests and the staff. McQuillan said that the hotel will only have a small meeting room, so he does not expect it to have special events or conferences.
A close up rendering of the corner of the hotel proposed by Boylston Properties. The picture shows the corner of Arsenal and Elm Streets.
The parking lot would have entrances on Arsenal, Elm and Arlington Streets.
Residents suggested adding a traffic light at the intersection of Elm and Arsenal streets because it is very difficult to turn left out of Elm Street.
A traffic engineer said a certain amount of traffic on a regular basis is needed in order to get a new light installed.
Along with parking, there are bus stops right in front of the hotel on Arsenal Street, and the hotel will have facilities to park bicycles. Taxis will be able to serve guests, and McQuillan said he hopes to have van service.
“We are hoping to connect to the Arsenal on the Charles van service that connects to the Red Line (in Harvard Square),” McQuillan said.
At 65-feet, the hotel would be as tall as the Arsenal Apartments – the senior housing just west of the Arsenal Project.
This would be Boylston Properties’ second hotel. The group recently opened an eight-story, 175-room Residence Inn by Marriott the Fenway neighborhood in Boston, McQuillan said.
Developers plan to file plans with the town and start going through the town planning process in May. It could be approved by the Planning and Zoning boards by September, which would mean construction could start by the end of 2014 and open in the spring of 2016.