PORTLAND — The India Street neighborhood is in the midst of another construction boom.

New, mixed-use development will include a hotel, a 160,000-square-foot office building, a parking garage and three residential buildings on land between Hancock, Newbury and Mountfort streets owned by Shipyard Brewing Company.

Cambria Hotel, a branch of Choice Hotels, broke ground on the hotel portion of the redevelopment project Aug. 26. The hotel, located at 25 Hancock St., will include 102 rooms, a first-floor restaurant and rooftop bar and green space. It will feature local beer, as well as a locally inspired menu.

The Cambria brand, according to the company, “is designed for the modern traveler, offering guests a distinct experience with simple, guilt-free indulgences allowing them to treat themselves while on the road. Properties feature compelling design inspired by the location, spacious and comfortable rooms, flexible meeting space, and local freshly prepared food and craft beer.”

Fred Forsley, Shipyard founder and CEO, said the green space on the roof will grow hops and barley that will be used in Shipyard products, which will be available at the hotel.

Janis Cannon, senior vice president of upscale brands for Choice Hotels International, said the decor of the hotel will tap into “what makes the location so special and unique.”

“What makes Cambria hotels special as a brand is it is built around creating a sense of space and sense of place. We don’t come in with a prototype of what all our hotels look like,” Cannon said. “We really want to design the hotel and guest experience to what is indicative of this market.”

Cannon said entering the Portland market was part of Choice Hotels’ growth strategy to put a hotel in all of the top 50 markets in the country.

There are more than 40 Cambria properties open across the United States; the closest to Portland is more than 300 miles away in the New York City area, although a Cambria hotel is slated to open on the south end of Boston later this month.

Joe Caradonna, co-founder and principal of Koucar Management, which is developing the hotel, said its decor will play off the property’s history as a brewery and before that, as a tannery and foundry.

“A lot of our design elements will pull back to the root of the property,” Caradonna said.

The hotel will be next door to Residence Inn by Marriott and a short walk from AC Hotel and Hampton Inn and Suites on Fore Street, but Cannon doesn’t fear the competition.

“The demand is still there,” said Caradonna, whose company is developing three other Cambria hotels in Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Shelby Township, Michigan, a fast-growing community 30 miles outside Detriot.

He added that for every 300,000 square feet of new construction, another hotel is needed.

Cannon said business people want more than just a place to sleep while traveling for business.

“Today’s traveler wants to be able to do business, but also be at a place that is special,” she said.

The hotel is just one piece of the redevelopment of the Shipyard parcel. While Shipyard will remain on site, much of the land around it will be redeveloped, including a 163,000-square-foot headquarters for Covetrus (formerly Vets First Choice) and a parking garage and three residential buildings facing Newbury Street. David Bateman, president of Bateman Partners, the developer of the overall master plan, said Shipyard will retain the first floor of the existing building for its retail store, tasting room and small-batch brewing demonstrations, but the second and third floors will be the pharmacy and distribution areas for Covetrus.

Covetrus space is expected to be completed by fall 2020, Bateman said. Construction of the residential buildings won’t start until after the other construction is complete.

The public can be kept abreast about the progress of the construction, thanks to a webcam sponsored by Bateman Partners.

“This project, as well as nearby projects for Covetrus and WEX, are creating really good jobs in the city of Portland,” Bateman said in a news release. “It’s also producing sorely-need tax revenue for schools and municipal services, and that’s why curiosity about progress there is sky-high. These cameras are a great option for keeping everybody up to speed.”

Copy the Story Link