Street-level rendering by Grassi Design Group.
The owner of the parking lot at 17 West St. in Downtown Crossing has filed plans to build a 15-story, 94-room hotel on the less than 1/10th acre parcel.
In his filing with the BPDA, lot owner Paul Roif says he would also build a raised pedestrian crossing at West and Washington streets to protect pedestrians by forcing drivers turning onto West to slow down.
Raised crossings at the start of a block also help provide a visual queue for vehicles that are enteringa slow speed street and to expect pedestrian activity.
Roiff says the hotel would provide "much economy hotel space" for downtown.
The hotel, located near stops on three of the T's four subway lines, would have no parking but would have racks for 12 bicycles - split between employees and visitors. The hotel would not have a restaurant.
Roiff hopes to begin two years of construction in the summer or fall of 2024.
17-23 West St. filings and meeting schedule.
View from Tremont Street:
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Comments
It's sad
By anon
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 3:01pm
to see our historic parking lots disappearing.
George Wahington and Ben
By anon
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 9:27am
George Wahington and Ben Franklin parked there.
Times Square 1980s vibe
By Rwgfy
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 3:36pm
Times Square 1980s vibe
Hopper vibes
By SwirlyGrrl
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 8:11pm
Except it has a door.
Historic!
By Ari O
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 3:52pm
Hey! That's a historic parking lot! How dare we propose something to house people and not cars? (I guess housing housing would be fine, but if the market for new hotels is there, then, great?)
From Streetview:
2022 parking rates: $36/day
2020: $40
2018: $36
2017: $36
2014: $32
2013: $30
2012: $25
(earlier streetviews too blurry)
Also … we don't tax parking, so whoever has owned this has charged a lot for parking and the city hasn't seen a penny of it. Most cities have anywhere from 15 to 50% parking taxes!
We do charge property tax, so
By satyriander
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 4:50pm
We do charge property tax, so the owner has been paying that tiger
Oh my heavens
By Ari O
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 6:42pm
Yes, that's true. They pay $24.98 per $1000 of valuation, and that parcel, since it's unimproved, is assessed for $699,000. That generates $17,000 in property tax per year, give or take.
If they can park 20 cars there per day for $35 per car 250 days per year, and for $25 per car on weekends it brings in about a quarter million dollars per year, so they pay about 7% of revenue in property tax.
Basically every other city gets more, and has property tax, too.
Chicago 32-40%
San Francisco 25%
Philadelphia 22.5%
NYC 18.375% (10.375% for residential parking)
DC 18%
Seattle 17.5%
Miami 15%
Boston 0%
I suspect the comment about taxes on an empty lot...
By Section77
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 11:29pm
Was cynically done so you would spend even more time googling.
The city gets property tax.
By anon
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 5:19pm
The city gets property tax.
The city doesn't get money from a lot of transactions that go on within its borders, and parking is just a small piece of that. We don't tax most intangible services, just the purchase of physical goods. And that money goes to the state and MBTA, with the exception of a fraction of the hotel and restaurant taxes which goes to the city.
The City received the princely sum of $8,779.54
By anon
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 5:50pm
for the 2023 Fiscal Year ending June 30. That means the poor owner paid about two weeks of gross income in real estate taxes. At least with a relatively affordable hotel, the next time the anarchists descend on Boston to burn and pillage, they might have a place to stay.
not the only untaxed transaction in Boston
By anon
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 11:27am
How much money does the city make from residential rents being paid? Toothpaste being sold at CVS? The hundreds of millions of dollars that hedge funds and fancy law firms bleed from the people who provide actual value to society?
94 hotel rooms on a 2789 sqft
By dvg
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 5:37pm
94 hotel rooms on a 2789 sqft lot and a floor area ratio of 8.0? This city can use some affordable hotel options and Downtown Crossing is the right place for it; bring it on!
More hotels
By mrotown
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 9:22pm
Death to airbnb! More hotels
Affordable permanent housing for people who need it:
By mplo
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 12:01am
Affordable permanent housing for people who really need it would be a much better option than a hotel. Boston's got plenty of hotels, and not enough affordable housing for those who need it.
No Drugs, Free Puppet Shows,
By John Costello
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 3:40am
Ice Cream Socials, etc.
Yes this and lots of affordable housing would be nice.
I know how to get in touch with the owner of the lot of you want me too. Bring your cash, your development team, your tradesman, and material. Make an offer and get your project built.
Go get ‘em!!!!
Speaking of clamming up
By spin_o_rama
Mon, 04/03/2023 - 10:37am
How's the campaign to send Mr. Costello to Beacon Hill going?
On the bright side
By NoMoreBanks
Mon, 04/03/2023 - 9:39am
If the hotel fails badly, since we have plenty of hotels, it will be much much easier for a new owner to convert it to housing than the people trying to figure out what to do with empty office buildings.
There are hotels in Boston but it's very difficult to get anywhere affordable to stay short term. Which we do actually want to provide. Lack of affordability for visitors is what drove AirBnB success which really, directly does make a difference in the amount of housing available. If this hotel opens and drives even one Airbnb owner out of business I'll be happy.
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 5:39pm
When Magoo was touring Japan Magoo slumbered in one of those super duper economy hotels where it is basically like a beehive and all slumberers have their own little cocoon. Which reminds my of that movie with the Quaker Oats man. It always annoyed Magoo the way the Quaker Oats man would pronounce diabetes on those life insurance commercials. While slumbering in the super duper economy hotel in Japan Magoo could hear the toots and snores or other slumberers. Magoo.
Thoughts and Prayers
By Angry Dan
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 5:39pm
Thoughts and prayers for all the cars that lived there and will have to search for new homes.
Isn't this where the books are also sild?
By Friartuck
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 6:03pm
He'll no, we won't go
Not the Brattle Books outdoor space.
By jmeltzer
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 6:42pm
Up the street a bit.
The bookstores outdoor space
By Don't Panic
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 2:54pm
The bookstores outdoor space would probably be 3-7 West Street given the weird numbering on West Street.
What rate counts as economy for downtown Boston?
By BostonDog
Fri, 03/31/2023 - 8:46pm
?
Anything less than. $500
By Walter
Sat, 04/01/2023 - 5:17pm
Anything less than. $500/night
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