Pro Con Inc. makes progress on $13.5 million Residence Inn by Marriott

The new 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel located at the intersection of First Ave. and B St. in the New England Business Center office park is beginning to take shape. The hotel, which is being developed by Waterford Development Corp., is part of a redevelopment plan by Normandy Real Estate Partners that includes four new office buildings, the hotel and two parking garages to be built in the business park over the next few years. Pro Con Inc is the architect and construction manager for the $13.5 million design build hospitality project, which is owned by SXC Needham Inn, LLC. "The wood framing is underway and the stair towers are complete," said the project manager for XSS Hotels LLC. "The electrical and plumbing rough-ins are on-going and the metal framing of the interior walls has begun. The hotel is taking shape and is progressing on schedule." Pro Con has designed the Residence Inn to achieve LEED certification. The hotel will use regional and recycled materials in construction and incorporate environmentally friendly design elements such as a white roof, over-sized windows, low-flow, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and LED lighting throughout the development. The building's first floor will house the hotel's lobby and reception, common areas and conference rooms. Floors 2 thru 5 will house the hotel's guest rooms. The hotel will offer 116 urban studios, 8 one-bedroom suites, and 4 two-bedroom suites, with a large hearth room, bar and lounge area, breakfast room, indoor pool & fitness room, two flexible space meeting rooms, business center and guest laundry area. Plans call for the hotel to have covered parking for 22 vehicles and surface parking for 80 vehicles. The hotel, which is located off of Rte. 128, will serve both business and leisure travelers. The 89,740 s/f Residence Inn, which is designed for the extended stay traveler, will offer complimentary continental breakfast, evening social hours and each suite will have separate working, lounging, and sleeping areas. Each room will also have a fully equipped kitchen with granite counter tops, microwave, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and coffee maker. The exterior design will feature precast concrete blocks, brick veneer, insulated metal paneling and cornice molding. The hotel's main entrance will feature a canopy with metal panels and double sliding glass doors. Construction on the site began in August 2012. The hotel is scheduled to be completed in June. Normandy Real Estate Partners is a leading real estate operator and investment manager headquartered in Morristown, N.J. with offices in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Normandy currently manages a series of discretionary real estate funds totaling $1.5 billion of equity commitments. Normandy's existing portfolio includes over 15 million s/f of commercial assets, four hotels and numerous land development sites. Waterford Development Corporation was formed as the development division of The Waterford Companies in 1995, and has developed over $200 million of real estate over the last 10 years. Waterford Development Corporation has combined the unique ability to design, develop, finance and lease both large and small commercial and residential properties. Pro Con Inc. is a full service architecture, engineering and construction management firm specializing in commercial, hospitality, institutional, industrial and multi-family residential projects. The company is recognized as an industry leader and is known for their single source design-build delivery system, "The Diamond Solution". Pro Con recently completed a design build128-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in Chelsea, Mass., which opened in August 2012.