The Marriott Corporation received permitting approval from the Chelsea Zoning Board of Appeals this week, removing the last barrier to entry for the worldwide company to build a major hotel at the corner of Maple and Beech Streets..
Groundbreaking is expected sometime in June, according to City Manager Jay Ash.
“We have spent almost ten years trying to make this happen,” said Ash. “Marriott coming here represents a seminal moment in the business history of this city. It also indicates just how far Chelsea has come in order to support such a high end business.”
The Marriott will be located next to the Wyndham Hotel, within a stone’s throw of where the FBI is expected to be located in a 400,000 square foot facility to be leased by the General Services Administration and owned by local developers, the Simbolis.
The Simbolis and the city are still awaiting final approvals from the GSA.
The new hotel will include 128 rooms and the general mix of amenities that Marriott offers around the world.
This will include private dining rooms for larger groups for special occasions and Internet tools allowing for video conferencing, which is valuable to business travelers.
City officials said Marriott estimates it will spend $15 million building and furnishing the new structure.
It will be built of red brick and will rise five stories.
“We are all very pleased,” said Ash. “We have worked for this for almost ten years,” he repeated.