Developer Plans Two Hotels on One Gowanus Block
We noticed an interesting transaction while digging through property records recently: A hotel developer had purchased an old warehouse on President Street between 3rd and 4th avenues for $4.8 million. Could it be? Another hotel in Gowanus? As it turns out, that’s not the case—SAI Hospitality, which has built a bunch of hotels around the…
We noticed an interesting transaction while digging through property records recently: A hotel developer had purchased an old warehouse on President Street between 3rd and 4th avenues for $4.8 million. Could it be? Another hotel in Gowanus? As it turns out, that’s not the case—SAI Hospitality, which has built a bunch of hotels around the city (like the La Quinta Inn near JFK), is planning to build not one, but two hotels on President Street. We’re building a 105-room hotel at 529 President and a 120-room hotel at 551 President, says Raj Bhagia, one of SAI’s principals. Bhagia says that SAI is going to develop higher-end properties than some of the others nearby (by this we assume he means Union Street’s Holiday Inn Express and Butler Street’s Comfort Inn) and hopes to lure an operator like Hilton. The firm intends to begin construction on the buildings within the next six months. SAI’s plans are independent of the rumored hotel planned for the same block, on the corner of 3rd Avenue. If all the hotels get built it’ll mean there are three on President Street alone and six all together in Greater Gowanus (counting Le Bleu). Gowanus: Brooklyn’s home away from home?
Another Gowanus Hotel Takes Shape [Brownstoner] GMAP GMAP
6 hotels, I going to start a tour guide company or even better an escort service. the wheels are turning.
Quote me now … Gowanus is going to be the Brooklyn version of Manhattan’s “MePa District” by 2017.
New Union Hall music venue, hotels, bars already there.
Please check this post in 10 years to confirm.
Who is going to finance this construction???
FSRG
As much as I’d like to see this part of Gowanus developed – this is a ridiculous amount of hotel rooms in a not so attractive area – I am of the end-run around zoning theory.
This is an outrage! Gowanus must remain an abandoned toxic wasteland, so that several dozen factory workers can keeep their jobs!
Yadda, yadda…Gowanus is dirty…Gowanus is light industrial…Gowanus will never change…developers are greedy/idiots/insane…yadda, yadda.
Heard it all before, like a broken record.
Brownfields.
I’d like to see how they get this cleaned up quickly to build a hotel.
Then again, if you can build a condo on an oil field in Greenpoint……
Of course, raising the FAR or allowing residential use would result in far more interesting buildings.
Until that time happens, the Gowanus area is going to be nothing but dilapidated warehouses, grandfathered apartment buildings, a few retail buildings, and McSam style hotels.
I think that’s it, 9:32.