Construction has started on the new 790-Room Westin Hotel that will connect to the new convention center.
Stephen Karp, Steven Fischman, Joseph Fallon, Joseph O'Donnell and Carpenter & Company have started the new $200 million Westin Hotel. Located on the South Boston waterfront, the 790-room Westin will be joined to the new Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), which officially opens on June 10. The hotel, which will carry the Starwood Hotels & Resorts' Westin flag, will serve as the headquarters hotel for the new convention center.
The construction loan has been provided by a consortium of banks led by Scotia Capital, a member of Scotiabank Group with eight participating banks. The hotel, which is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2006, will be integrated with the BCEC, providing open space and a pedestrian-friendly plaza. When it opens, the hotel is expected to employ more than 400 full-time associates.
"The new Westin headquarters hotel will secure the success of our world-class convention center," said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Together, these two cornerstones of the South Boston waterfront will anchor our tourism industry and further establish the area as a vibrant, 24-hour neighborhood."
Stephen Karp, CEO of New England Development, said of the groundbreaking. "We are eager to get this project underway as it clearly will serve as an important catalyst, along with the Convention Center, to jump-start other development activity in the area. Our company is strongly committed to re-energizing this important part of Boston.
"This is a challenging but very exciting project, which we believe represents a great partnership among the development team, Starwood, the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), and our lenders," said Joe Fallon of The Fallon Company. "The Westin Hotel will be an exciting addition to the South Boston waterfront, and we are proud to be involved with this development."
"I have always said that when we held our opening ceremonies for the BCEC, our guests would look over and see construction of our headquarters hotel," said Gloria C. Larson, Chairman of the MCCA Board of Directors. "Well, next week, they will and both regular customers and prospective customers will recognize its significance. This hotel is one more reason why the BCEC will be a success and why people will choose Boston."
"By beginning the construction of this hotel, Starwood, international banks, lending institutions and prominent local developers have validated our confidence in the long term success of the BCEC and the South Boston waterfront. These entities would not be making this investment if they did not believe Boston was going to be a winner in the conventions marketplace," said James E. Rooney, MCCA Executive Director. "This groundbreaking marks a huge achievement for everyone involved in the project and the new design provides the neighborhood with a hotel that is pedestrian friendly and more visually pleasing."
The hotel will be constructed in two phases, with Phase I featuring 790 guest rooms including two Presidential Suites and a club lounge. There will be 32,000 square feet of meeting space including a 15,000 square foot ballroom. The Westin Boston Seaport will feature a 125-seat signature restaurant, 80-seat lobby/lounge, pool and health club. The second phase of the hotel may include an additional 330 guest rooms.
The hotel was designed by Arrowstreet, Inc. a local Boston architectural firm with Interior Design by Brennan Beer Gorman Interiors of New York. The general contractor, Suffolk Construction of Boston.
The Boston Harbor Journal