A Florida-based investment firm has submitted sketch plans to build a hotel at the current Greater Burlington YMCA location on College Street.
Hospitality Funding, under the business name Hotel Y Burlington, is planning a six-story, 142-room Cambria hotel, one of 10 brands owned by Choice Hotels. The company also operates Comfort Inn, Clarion, Econo Lodge and others, according to its website.
But Hospitality Funding’s chairman and CEO has Queen City ties, according to Nicole Ravlin, a spokesperson for the hotel. Scott Silver attended the University of Vermont as an undergrad, and his son lives in BTV, she said. Silver will serve as the Burlington project’s managing partner.
“Vermont is kind of his home away from home, and this is why he was interested in doing something with the community here,” Ravlin said.
More detailed plans will be unveiled at Wednesday’s Wards 1 and 8 Neighborhood Planning Assembly meeting, said Scott Gustin, a principal planner with the city of Burlington. Silver and Cleary Buckley of Smith Buckley Architects are scheduled to attend and answer questions.
Silver said his firm “assumed the contract” for the property at 266 College Street last October from Montpelier lawyer Frank von Turkovich, who signed a contract to buy the historic building in 2016. City records show the property sold for $3 million; it was originally on the market for $3.75 million.
Smith Buckley Architects filed a memo with the NPA that says the hotel will retain the Y’s gabled roof structure at the corner of College and South Union streets but will demolish the building’s back portion. Designs also call for 77 underground parking spaces, a rooftop bar and restaurant and a “green/vegetated roof with kinetic art.”
“We anticipate that this feature will provide an inviting destination for the community, offering an experience that does not currently exist in the city,” the architect’s memo says of the rooftop features.
The hotel will be built to sustainable design standards and will include its own stormwater retention system, the architects’ memo says.
The firm predicts the hotel will reduce traffic congestion at the intersection since guest turnover happens throughout the day “versus the highly concentrated pickup and drop off” times for the Y’s childcare program.
Meanwhile, the Burlington Y is continuing construction on its new home a block away at 298 College Street, site of the former Ethan Allen Club. The Y will continue operating at its current location until the new building is complete, likely by early 2020. Hotel construction is slated to commence that spring, the architects’ memo says.
The hotel must first pass design and development reviews, however. Those hearings are tentatively planned for later this month, Gustin said.
Jonathan Chapple-Sokol, a Wards 1 and 8 NPA steering committee member, said he hasn’t reviewed the hotel’s specific plans but anticipates the NPA meeting will host a robust discussion.
“I have an open mind about these things,” he said. “There’s a lot of interested people in the ward who come to the NPA. It may not be as exciting as others, but I think there will definitely be some good Q&A.”
The NPA will meet at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday in the UVM Medical Center’s McClure Lobby Conference Room.
Related Stories
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
Oh goody goody goody . . . more service wage jobs . . . thanks Mr. Trump . . err . . um . . Miro. You are so smart and enlightened. Mayor for life!!! So when will you knock down Memorial Auditorium to build that convention center? I know you haven’t let go of that scam yet.
Although the building in the picture looks way too puny for our vibrant and enlightened city, it should be at least 15 stories tall, just to show the world that we are the apex, the pinnacle of self-flattery and hubris. The City of Tomorrow!! But only for the Beautiful Elite and Elect. Let the poor be the galley slaves and chambermaids. They should be grateful for the crumbs they have been offered, eh?
Now let all the Neo-liberal sheep and “free market” Flat Earthers sing your praises. Bread and Circus!!!
What is an NPA and why is it important?
I bet this will be built and in business before that City Place breaks ground, If they can get through all the red tape of the NPA’s and City hall, I hope this project moves fast.
I’m fine with most development downtown, but the title of this story should really be “How to Lie with Architectural Renderings.” It’s interesting to see how the six-story hotel appears to be the exact same height as the 3.5 story YMCA from both north and south views. For comparison, six stories is also the height of the (awesome) new Ealge’s Landing/Champlain College building on St Paul Street.
It will also be interesting to see how tourists handle the one-way, one lane drop off zone…I doubt “reduced congestion” will be the result.
Like the NPA involvement. Let’s see how that goes.
The firm predicts the hotel will reduce traffic congestion at the intersection since guest turnover happens throughout the day versus the highly concentrated pickup and drop off times for the Ys childcare program.
So traffic will suck all day and not just for two small windows of time?
I’m sure UVM students can live there in the winter/off-season. It would be a shame if UVM actually had to provide enough housing for its students. Another plus to this project is all of the transient service jobs it will create.
Let the anti-everything protests begin.
How many rooms will have to be set aside for Low Income Tourists?
A stucco & glass rectilinear monolith built onto that beautiful old brick building with such great classic lines? That’s ugly as sin! What the hell are these people thinking? You know, besides $ $ $ $ $ $ $… This architect should restrict his work to Florida and stay out of Vermont entirely.
This seems like a good use for the building, particularly because it uses the historic part and replaces the essentially useless newer part. I like the proposed roof and storm water retention ideas.