By Joseph Domelowicz Jr.
The Wynn Casino and Resort complex may be delayed by an appeal of state permits, but elsewhere in Everett progress continues toward the eventual construction and opening of that new attraction.
On Monday, April 11 at 11 a.m. Mayor Carlo DeMaria gathered with other top elected officials, including Congressman Michael Capuano, State Senator Sal DiDomenico and State Representative Joseph McGonagle, as the owners of a proposed boutique hotel at 1834 Revere Beach Parkway started internal demolition and construction that will revitalize a tired industrial building into a new 101-room boutique hotel in Everett.
The enVision Everett will feature “locally vintage design” and modern technology to attract visitors to Everett who want to experience a more authentic, neighborhood aesthetic when visiting the greater Boston area.
“The modern day traveller wants to interact with the place they are in,” said Shikha Talwar of enVision.
“It’s a marketing niche,” added Stephen Koch of enVision. “Travellers today don’t gravitate to the large big box hotel. It’s a new generation. They want something unique and connected to the community around it. They want more of a unique experience.”
Added President Gautam Sharma, “They way this building was, we felt we could restore it. The history would have been lost if we took it down. We cannot recreate what we have here.”
According to materials provided by the hotel developers at Monday’s event the new hotel will open in 2017 to guests. The company, based in Needham, has hotels of a similar variety all over the country. Most recently, they opened a similar boutique hotel in the Longwood area of Boston in 2012.
The upscale hotel will be built inside of the building at the corner of Vine Street, which most recently housed a gym on the top floors and a warehouse furniture dealer on the ground floor. enVision Everett will be a member of the Ascend Hotel Collection, owned by Choice Hotels brand. The Ascend Collection features unique individual hotels, designed to connect guests with the cities and regions they are visiting.
To that end, interior designer Joanna Smith – who used to live on the Parkway for many years – said they are creating many Everett themed displays within the hotel. There will be old maps, sewing machines that harken back to the former use of the building.
The company also pledged to use local businesses for products such as food and other goods.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria said it is more evidence that the time is now for Everett to take the next step forward as a community.
“It’s our time,” he said, noting that the City will invest in the area and maintain it.
Congressman Michael Capuano said having the first hotel is a big deal.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Global Vision President Gautam Sharma take the ceremonial sledge to an old wall at the industrial building on the Parkway that Sharma’s company plans to turn into a unique boutique hotel bearing the enVision Hotel name, and also being part of the Choice Hotels network. It is the first hotel in Everett.
“Bringing a hotel to a City like Everett for the first time is a big deal,” said Capuano. “To have business people come into the city and make a significant investment like this is a big vote of confidence. They are saying they like the direction you have mapped out and want to go on that journey with you.”
The building was owned previously by Ed Swansburg, who owns a lot of property in the Triangle Commercial district and was key in attracting enVision to the City.