Davis Square Hotel - update

[pbockelman.livejournal.com]

Somerville Patch has a good summary of the proposals for a hotel in Davis Square (where the farmer's market is now) here: http://somerville.patch.com/articles/davis-square-hotel-what-developers-have-proposed.

Also, you can go to the City's website to see much of the submitted material here: http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd/economic-development/davis-square-hotel-project

Other information can be found at an independent website created by a neighbor: http://herberthotel.net/

Comments

[emannths.livejournal.com]

IMHO, of course...I know everyone interprets "local business" differently, but I'd think a restaurant is about as local-business as one can get. It uses local employes, pays local taxes and fees, serves the local community. Sure, the owners/investors may not be local, but a) that's no assurance of the restaurant's quality and b) the community at large gains little even if the profits stay in the hands of a few locals.

If the restaurant is good enough to syphon off customers from existing restaurants, then it's probably a net benefit to the community regardless of its owners. Let's leave the choice to the potential customers rather than a pseudo-omniscient board.

[ron_newman]

If the hotel was proposed for currently private property, I would agree with you. But this proposal is for sale of a city-owned parking lot to a developer. Given that, some 'pseudo-omniscience' from the review committee may be appropriate.