$55M hotel project completed in I-195 District in Providence

Updated at 2:06 p.m. on Dec. 16

CONSTRUCTION WAS RECENTLY completed on the 162,000-square-foot, seven-story Aloft Providence Downtown at 191 Dorrance St., a hotel that’s being managed by Marriott International, which features 175 guest rooms, along with meeting rooms and a bar with an outdoor patio and a rooftop lounge. / COURTESY CV PROPERTIES LLC

PROVIDENCE – Construction on the 162,000-square-foot, seven-story Aloft Providence Downtown at 191 Dorrance St. recently reached the finish line after breaking ground in early 2020, making it the first hotel to open in the I-195 Redevelopment District.

The hotel, managed by Marriott International, features 175 guest rooms, as well as meeting rooms, a fitness center, and a bar with an outdoor patio and a rooftop lounge.

City officials and state leaders, including Gov. Daniel J. McKee, celebrated a ribbon cutting for the $55 million hotel project earlier this month. Many of them stated that the new business will complement previously completed office buildings on the former highway land, such as the Point225 innovation complex that opened two years ago and is anchored by the Cambridge Innovation Center, Brown University’s School of Professional Studies, and Johnson & Johnson.

“Aloft complements the other developments in the district perfectly, providing desirable and convenient lodging for visitors to the district,” said Robert Davis, chair of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. “We are especially pleased that this project was completed during the pandemic without delays.”

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R.I. Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor applauded the state and its construction industry for continuing progress throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our state never shut down the construction industry during the pandemic and has since regained all of the construction jobs lost during the COVID crisis,” Pryor said at the ribbon cutting. “With today’s hotel opening, the I-195 district becomes even more vibrant and gains even more momentum.”

The hotel building was developed by CV Properties LLC, which also constructed Wexford Science & Technology’s Point225 building. The company received a tax incentive financing deal from the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission to construct the hotel building, along with a reduced-price land sale for $1 million from the district.

“This has been a truly remarkable experience and serves as a shining example of the extraordinary positive economic impact a successful public-private partnership can have on a destination,” said Richard Galvin, founder and president of CV Properties LLC. “We’re excited to watch the Aloft Providence Downtown thrive and serve as both an exciting hub of activity within the community and a place where travelers can stay and experience all that Providence, and Rhode Island, has to offer.”

The construction of the hotel was completed by the Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction.

“The Aloft Providence Downtown is a unique, edgy destination for locals and visitors alike and the perfect complement to the neighborhood’s contemporary aesthetic,” said Ron Simoneau, executive vice president at Shawmut Design and Construction.

(ADDS last two paragraphs with comment from Shawmut.)

Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.

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1 COMMENT

  1. How come our instate developer projects languish for years and most of the time never get built while out of state developers come in on a project and the project gets finished? It seems like our instate developers are more about making money off of undeveloped land than actual buildings