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Marriott grants Fairfield Inn and Suites franchise
for New Bedford waterfront hotel
By Joe Cohen
Standard-Times staff writer
 NEW
BEDFORD — The developer planning a 106-room hotel on the
city's waterfront announced Tuesday that Marriott
International Inc. has approved a franchise for a
Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott at the site.
Officials said the Marriott endorsement of the project
marked an important hurdle cleared as the developer and
city move ahead with the first downtown hotel in decades
along with the first major downtown building project in
more than 10 years.
Marriott is a leading international lodging company with
more than 3,000 properties in the United States and 66
other countries. It franchises hotels under the
Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance,
Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield
Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names.
The hotel is being built by Lafrance Hospitality, the
Westport-based company headed by the Lafrance family
known for a number of SouthCoast properties, including
White's of Westport and the Hampton Inns located in
Westport and Fairhaven.
Richard Lafrance, company president, in a jointly
prepared statement, praised city officials for their
support of the project and said the support "has enabled
the project to progress in a timely fashion."
Hotel plans call for a five-story building on a site
just off Homer's Wharf and abutting MacArthur Drive and
the JFK Memorial Highway at the foot of Walnut Street.
Unofficial estimates of the cost of the project are $20
million. The current plan is for 78 standard rooms and
28 suites.
Lafrance Hospitality plans to begin construction this
summer and complete the project by next summer.
City Council President Jane L. Gonsalves said, "I see
the presence of a hotel as a key piece of the economic
revitalization of this area." She said the granting of
the franchise license indicates forward progress and
that she is pleased.
Mayor Scott W. Lang said the hotel project is moving
ahead "step by step."
"It will take real teamwork at all levels ... to make
this important project a reality for our city," Mayor
Lang said. He predicted continued support from his
administration and the City Council.
Matthew A. Morrissey of the New Bedford Economic
Development Council said the Marriott award of a
franchise for the hotel was a "huge hurdle" cleared. He
said while there is still much work to be done, the
project is moving ahead on schedule.
Contact Joe Cohen at
jcohen@s-t.com
May 07, 2008
Source URL
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS/805070318 |
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