This morning the Local reports that Gabriela Tubella, who owns the now-vacant lot on St. Felix and Lafayette directly across the street from BAM, is once again talking about building a hotel on the site. The back story on this will-it-or-won’t-it-happen project: Tubella purchased the building that, until recently, was on the site plus an adjoining lot and air rights back in 2007; about a year ago, she started marketing the property as a possible hotel development site but got no bites on the listing; and then, all of a sudden, the city decided that 37 Lafayette Avenue was hazardous and demolition started on it early this year. According to the story in the Local, “Hotel Felix” would rise 9 stories, have 56 rooms, and construction would consist of two phases, with the first resulting in a ground-floor restaurant followed by the hotel being completed at a later date. We’re not seeing any building plans on file with the DOB yet, and given the grand schemes that have accompanied this project in the past—to say nothing of the shady demolition that seemed to come out of nowhere—we’ll believe this one when we see it. Still and all, it’s tough to imagine a hotel in this location not doing bang-up business.
Hotel Across From BAM Moves Forward [The Local]
Demolition at Would-Be Hotel Site Near BAM [Brownstoner]
What is Up at 37 Lafayette Avenue? [Brownstoner]
A Hotel Next to BAM? [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB


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