There are no concrete plans yet for a parking garage, according to city officials, and no liquor license available now, but that's not stopping a local developer from pushing forward to build a hotel in Peabody Square. The facade of the historic building will remain the same, but the interior will be totally renovated for a restaurant and conference rooms on the ground floor with 64 luxury hotel rooms on the two floors above. He even said he'd like to carve out space for George's Barbershoppe, which is run by David Serpa, in the new hotel.
MTMA Architects, the Cambridge firm Bandar retained for the hotel, shows early renderings of both the hotel and a mixed-use project on its website. The early plans include up to parking spaces public and private , a restaurant with outdoor seating in a garden-style plaza and 60 condos on the top two floors.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt is frank about his intention to eventually bring a mixed-use parking garage to the downtown, hotel or not, but says there are no definite plans nor commitments yet. He said the proposal for the Foster Street lot was presented by Bandar unsolicited. It's an option for the city to consider.
Bettencourt said the city is considering potential sites for that type of development, including the Foster Street lot and the Mill Street parking lot, which the city purchased from the MBTA in While Bandar would need about parking spots for the hotel development, he is currently planning to locate them off-site and run a combination of valet and shuttle service, which would also incorporate regular trips to Salem State University, for instance, and nearby destinations.
As for the liquor license, Bandar and a handful of other applicants vied for the city's one available all-alcohol restaurant license back in December. The Licensing Board, however, granted the license to the proprietors of a new pub slated to open in March at the empty Fire Bull spot. Board Chairman Minas Dakos told Peabody Patch the main reason the board didn't go with Bandar was because the restaurant wouldn't likely open for another year at least. Patrick's Day. Bettencourt received approval from the City Council earlier in December to submit the petition, which seeks 10 new liquor licenses for Peabody, ideally split between the mall and the downtown.
