The envisioned Residence Inn.
Visitors wanting to spend some extra time in New Haven may soon have a new temporary place to call home.
At a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held at 200 Orange St. Tuesday night, Courtyard Marriott developer Douglas Cohen of Newport Hotel Group, along with members of his design team and attorney James Perito, presented a plan to build a six-story residence inn adjacent to the hotel’s current 30 Whalley Ave. location.
The 115-room inn would be located on the corner of Elm and Howe Streets. Room layouts include a mix of studio-style and one-bedroom suites with kitchenettes.
Perito asked the board for permission for a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) increase from 2.0 to 2.4, meaning his team could build 20 percent more building than normally allowed on the space. He also requested a special exception to allow 216 parking spaces for both the hotel and residence inn, where 267 spaces are typically required. Of those spaces, 85 are off-site valet spots at 67 Whalley Ave. where a Midas Muffler shop used to be. The hotel would provide shuttle services to this area.
The board voted to send the request to the City Plan Commission for review.
Perito said Yale University has praised Courtyard Marriott for wanting to further benefit the city and nearby businesses.
He and Mayor Toni Harp also chatted about the project. Harp was “very supportive,” said Perito. “Everyone in the city has been very supportive.”
“There’s a need for an extended stay hotel [downtown],” Cohen said, noting its convenience factor for families and visitors.
Members of the public in attendance also voiced support for the project.
Liana Teixeira Photo
Douglas Cohen, James Perito and designer David Golebiewski.
During their presentation, architect Kent Beirne of James A. Loft Architects, Inc. and designer David Golebiewski of TPA Design Group gave a sneak peek at what the finished product could look like.
At six-stories tall, the inn would feature a tower element in the center with custom cast stone lining the lower level. The second to fifth floors would be lined with brick, and the sixth floor with fiber panels. Planned amenities include a fitness center, free breakfast and access to a meeting room.
Marriott visitors can currently access the hotel’s parking lot through Elm Street, but once the new structure is put up, that entry would be eliminated.
However, Beirne said visitors can still enter and exit from the upper and lower parking garage levels onto Whalley Avenue and Howe Street.
If approved by the commission, the Residence Inn is planned to be up and running by spring 2016.