$550 million project is groundbreaking in diversity participation and inclusion; Model for non-profit community partnerships
BOSTON, MA, 2018-May-24 — /Travel PR News/ — Executives from Omni Hotels & Resorts along with Governor Charlie Baker, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and New Boston Hospitality, broke ground today on the highly anticipated Omni Boston Seaport Hotel. The city’s fourth largest hotel will reflect the rich history of the city of Boston while providing guests with the ultimate Omni experience.
“This project’s hotel, retail, restaurant and outdoor space is a welcome addition to Boston’s Seaport District and will lead to expanded economic opportunities for many businesses within the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration looks forward to continuing to work together with partners at the local level and in the private sector to support economic development in communities across Massachusetts.”
National hotel leader Omni Hotels & Resorts, along with a team of highly seasoned, local real estate professionals from New Boston Hospitality, were designated by Massport in 2017 to develop the state-of-the-art hotel. The team committed from the outset to include equity participation from an unprecedented level of minority and women-owned investors and businesses.
Set to open in late 2020 on the two-acre parcel of Massport-owned land at the corner of Summer and D Streets, the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will be a catalyst to the development in the Seaport District. The hotel will feature 1,055 finely appointed guest rooms inclusive of 52 suites that will top out at 21 floors. Select suites will feature views of the Boston Harbor. Other hotel highlights include:
- Food & Beverage: The culinary experiences at Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will include an all-day restaurant and collaborative workspace, lobby lounge, entertainment lounge, French brasserie and boulangerie as well as an elevated pool bar and grill.
- Meetings & Events: The hotel will house approximately 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space that includes the largest hotel ballroom in Boston’s Seaport District, along with breakout rooms, outdoor and pre-function spaces.
- Lifestyle: Guests will have access to an urban rooftop pool deck located on the fourth floor. The pool deck will have an optional space which will allow guests to host year-round events featuring views of Boston’s skyline. In addition, guests can relax, unwind and beautify at the signature Mokara Spa that is complete with a fitness center and blow dry hair bar that will be available to hotel guests as well as locals via street access. The hotel will also feature a curated retail shop with items from local purveyors.
“Today marks more than just a groundbreaking, it’s a celebration of the diversity and inclusion this project represents from its design, to its contracting, to its nonprofit partners,” said Mayor Walsh. “The Omni Boston Seaport Hotel is a welcome addition to our city, providing better public access to the waterfront, improving walkability to the area and investing in our workforce. I look forward to seeing the vision for this hotel come to life, for the benefit of Boston’s residents and visitors alike.”
“Boston is a premier destination and we are incredibly excited to be a part of the city’s continued evolution – especially in the Seaport District,” said Peter Strebel, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts. “We look forward to working together with Massport, New Boston Hospitality, Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh to establish the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel as an unforgettable destination for years to come.”
In addition, six local non-profit organizations will receive a portion of the hotel’s profits, including The Edgerley Family South Boston Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, The South Boston Community Health Center, Julie’s Family Learning Center, Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop To Inner-City Killing (LIPSTICK), The Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester and the Building Pathways Program, a pre-apprenticeship program that provides construction career opportunities to low-income Boston residents.
“This groundbreaking not only signifies the strong economic progress happening in the city of Boston, but also the fundamental building blocks of opportunity we are creating for our workforce,” said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. “We are also excited to see that the chance we took of adding a diversity criteria has paid dividends, and the outcome so far has been outstanding. We look forward to further strengthening our partnership with Omni Hotels as we watch this project evolve into a key destination for visitors from across the state and country.”
The $550 million project is estimated to create 1,100 construction jobs and between 700 – 1,000 permanent jobs.
“This is a multifaceted groundbreaking,” stated Brian Fallon, President of TDC Development Group, a division of The Davis Companies. “It’s an unprecedented project that will transform South Boston’s already thriving convention and tourism business by adding over 1,000 hotel rooms and provide a professional hospitality training institute to support industry career growth. We also hope that it will set a precedent for minority and women-owned business enterprise participation in real estate development.”
The Omni Boston Seaport Hotel will become a part of Omni’s robust, and growing, Convention Center Collection, which features signature properties in Atlanta, Louisville, Dallas, Fort Worth and Nashville. Upon opening, it will be the largest hotel in Omni’s portfolio.
For more information, visit omnihotels.com, call 1-800-The-Omni or follow Omni Hotels & Resorts at www.Facebook.com/OmniHotels and Twitter.com/OmniHotels.
SOURCE: Massport
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