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It’s exciting news that with rail service having returned, market projections for overnight visitors to New Bedford support investment in a new hotel. Terrific and thank you, South Coast Rail!
Close to downtown, this could translate into more people on New Bedford’s streets exploring, shopping, and dining. And, some more full-time jobs, that’s even better for our local economy. Excellent!
But must it look like every other cheap highway hotel? On a recent drive to Salt Lake City and back, my wife and I saw many of these city-outskirt-hotels and, when we stayed in one, lost track of where we were for the night since they all looked so similar. Other than an occasional photo of some local attraction, or chamber-of-commerce tourist brochures, there was nothing that suggested awareness of, or interest in, local place or its history. Is this what New Bedford should have?
C’mon decision makers and permit granters. Please, don’t let this dull neutral box happen here.
There was a time when New Bedford and its business and civic leaders took great pride in raising a new public building. The materials and details of its design were carefully chosen to make a mark and celebrate our city as a special and different place and its sponsor as a discerning person of means and taste.
I believe it is fair to say that everyone was excited that the train was coming back to New Bedford, and now it is here. Yay! But where the Whaling City once had a rather magnificent station that welcomed home travelers or visitors, we now have a miserable anywhere suburban station platform to annotate the end of the rail line and connection to the islands beyond. No indoor shelter from the weather but a new ped-bike bridge with an elevator. Priorities?
Just because this hotel will be near our androgynous rail platform, must it be equally neutral to match every inexpensive highway hotel?
Other than more parking near the station, will it offer any amenities that deliver something back to the city – how about a bar and restaurant on the roof level?
Beyond that, will this landmark-location hotel add anything to our city’s architectural heritage as a visual gateway to the waterfront and downtown or be just another misplaced eyesore on the way into town?
For comparison’s sake, next time in Providence look for the Downtown Courtyard hotel set back from Exchange Terrace that was added to the 1904 Railroad Station complex some 20 years ago. It is a simple rectangular box of a building, yes, but its elevations and window details were purposefully designed to blend with the materials and character of the historic station complex buildings.
While we no longer have the sturdy brick station we once had to emulate, why can’t this new hotel look like it read that story and learned from it?
Paul R. V. Pawlowski, AIA, ASLA, FAAR, is a New Bedford resident.
I so agree with you, and I wish you added about the bridge. It leads to nothing interesting. No attractive restaurant, coffee shop. Newcomers to the city from the train will be so disappointed/disenchanted with us.
You’re not wrong but the bridge was limited by location. There’s plenty of vacant space on Purchase St…why not open an interesting spot?
I also, wonder about the purpose of the bridge since there are only resisidential buildings and no parking lots on that side of the bridge. Therefor, just who is going to be using that bridge?
The parking lot could be repurposed into a parking garage with retail space on the exterior. There is also an unbelievable amount of space for multiple floors of apartments over commercial/retail.
The only holdup is the staid city council stuck in the 60s with zero visionary thinking and intense opposition to progress.
Looks like Lakeville did when they put apartments in, Not a hotel! We have 3+ already, people aren’t really staying here long, there will be plenty also Fairhaven too.
I’m certainly not excusing it but it seems like the lower end brands that Lafrance typically partners with have rigid design standards ensuring recognition of course but also a depressing homogeneity.
Sspot on. When I saw the picture, my reaction was exactly like yours. It’s not an image with which to start enhancing the area around the so-called station, which will be the first impression of our city for visitors. The bridge MAYBE leads to a city bus stop on Purchase Sr t.. The 211 bus goes right by the station on Acushnet Ave. every 30 minutes. Does it have a stop there? Inquiring minds want to know!
Now that it has been brought up, I totally agree! I also agree that there needs to be signage to direct newcomers as they exit the train.
I too am in full agreement. The statement this design makes is that New Bedford doesn’t care who it is other than “good ‘nuff” or “it’ll do.
Worse, it will set precedent for more of the same. Back to the drawing board…please!
I wholeheartedly agree with you. My first thought was what happened to our beautiful historic charm? Isn’t that a reason folks visit us? Always welcome new business, but show some class. This design is an embarrassment.
Love the idea of a roof restaurant on a beautiful building with historic references. Water views ARE popular.
Yeah, it’s ugly.
Who’s in charge about this decision? New Bedford Light! Get busy and find out who will be making decisions about the development at our train station.
Let’s get together and put the pressure on THEM!
Helen DeGroot
Unbelievably ugly. Mediocrity at its best.
I agree completely. That is likely the first building people will see when they step off the train and it looks nothing like the historic downtown area just blocks away. It’s just blah.
Oh! What a dreadful disappointment! Please, let’s ensure that this does not come to fruition.
It’s not as if private sector investors and developers are lining up to do business in New Bedford and with the exception of the mayor I doubt there’s anyone in city politics who has traveled much beyond the northeast, Florida and maybe Vegas so doubtful any of them recognize the problem.
As usual NBL states hard truths. That pedestrian bridge leads to nowhere. Should anyone from up North be curious enough to venture this far South will be greeted with absolutely nothing once off the train. Not even anything to keep you out of harsh weather. What’s it going to look like waiting for the train this winter? Ok so there’s a bridge that leads up and over Rte 18. But then you have to walk South a bit and across the Octopus intersection and then a few more blocks until you find anything.
As for the hotel? Might as well make it Condos or more elderly living because I just don’t see the demand for more hotel space. The hotels we have in the area are hardly 50% booked on a regular basis. This is NOT a build it and they will come scenario… Train = 40 Years too late.
What ever happened to, “New Bedford, City of Progress”? This building looks like Soviet cold war architecture!
So little is left of civic architecture…… this “hotel” is the most banal, boring, soulless structure possible, Yuk!
OMG, New Bedford is not a gold plated city. For God sake just be happy it will bring in tourist. New Bedford has a lot of industrial buildings, lofts, let them experience what the residents experience. They surely won’t be staying at the hotel for it’s looks, they will be coming for tourism. If anything survives………with all the cuts!
Most readers have exposed the ugly truth about the proposed hotel and train platform which us not a,station and in winter w cold wind off water not very inviting Paul Pawlowski has given the architectural verdict and finally does New Bedfird more need another hotel OR more Apts to solve a looming housing need.Ask the peope of New Bedford..sure they’ll have answer
Why is there a hotel going into space meant for housing?