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New owners of boarded-up East Boston eyesore vow to turn it into a hotel
By adamg on Wed, 12/12/2018 - 11:00am
The Zoning Board of Appeals yesterday gave a Lexington hotel company permission to finish converting what is now a shell of a building with telecommunications towers on top at 155 Porter St. in East Boston into a 123-room hotel.
The telecom equipment will remain, but Jamsan Hotel Management will move it to the center of the roof to make it less visible from the street, its attorney told the board.
The board approved a plan in 2016 by the Loftel hotel chain to convert the century-old factory into a hotel. The company boarded up the building, erected scaffolding and began gutting the interior and then just stopped work. It later sold the project to Jamsan.
The board's 2016 approval still holds, but Jamsan attorney Richard Lynds sought re-approval to ensure his client has enough time to finish an estimated 10 to 14 months of renovation - and construction of a one-floor addition. He estimated the cost of the project at $25 million.
The mayor's office, City Councilor Lydia Edwards and nearby residents approved the proposal, provided it start as soon as possible to rid the neighborhood of the eyesore.
In addition to guest rooms, the plans call for 66 parking spaces, a restaurant and a coffee shop.
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Comments
This building has been an
This building has been an eyesore for years the problem is the top of it has been renting out as a cell tower and no one wants to fix it up because of this.
It's about time
I'm amazed at how long this eyesore has sat in this state, despite all of the overdevelopment going on in the neighborhood.
Maybe the increased traffic and a few out of towners getting t-boned @ the Porter/Bremen intersection by people who don't know or care how stop signs work will even get us some actual traffic enforcement there!
that intersection
Desperately needs a light. Or anything besides the current 4 way stop sign thunderdome that currently exists. I cross that intersection daily and have lost count of how many times I've almost been hit by a car.
And finally this project is moving again. Was very excited to be rid of this eyesore years ago and then...nothing.
It needs something for sure.
I don't know how light timing would work with the traffic flow leading into it from the Callahan, but it really is a mess.
But it blows my mind how much revenue (not to mention general public safety) the city is giving up by not setting up shop and ticketing there...or anywhere on Bremen, really.
Surprised that Suffolk
Surprised that Suffolk University didn’t purchase that building, they could have used it for dorms, After all Suffolk University uses the nearby stadium and what does the East Boston community get in return for them using the stadium , SH:T.
Stop Signs. Lights.
I will never understand why NO ONE comes to a complete stop there. Mind boggling.
I literally had to scream out
I literally had to scream out at a driver from running me over. He had to slam his breaks on in-order to stop. They need anything at the corner to fix the issue. RIght now i avoid crossing the street because I know it is unsafe.