From Homeless to Hip in Maritime's MePa Shadow

Wednesday, October 3, 2007, by Joey

The old Covenant House homeless shelter at 346 West 17th Street is the building right next to the Maritime Hotel that looks like the Maritime Hotel but is not actually part of the Maritime Hotel. The similarity stems from the architect, Albert Ledner, who also designed the nautical-themed O'Toole Building a few blocks away that's now in jeopardy. Today, Lois Weiss reports that the Covenant House was sold to Hampshire Hotels for $70 million, and the 11-story building will be converted to a hotel. She doesn't connect the dots, however, so here you go: Hampshire was founded by the father of hip hotelier Vikram Chatwal. Vikram Chatwal is opening an outpost of his trippy Dream Hotel in the MePa in 2008. The Covenant House will be the Dream Downtown. Maritime, you have been put on notice.
· Between the Bricks [Lois Weiss]
· 2008 Will Be the Return of Vikram Chatwal [HotelChatter]

[Photo via PropertyShark]

Filed under Commercial Real Estate, Hotels, Manhattan: Meatpacking/MePa North, Real Estate Sold, Dream Downtown, Maritime Hotel, Vikram Chatwal

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Comments (5 extant)

Vikram's hotels are known to scare people literally. This covenant house for the homeless may still have homeless people hiding in the nooks and crannies when they open up. Watch out for the fleas.

By Glue at October 3, 2007 1:26 PM

Horrible building, demolish it and built from scratch.

By Shasta at October 3, 2007 4:27 PM

Okay, I've read this post five times and I still have no idea what you're saying.

You're saying that the Maritime hotel will be bought by the guy who has the "Dream" hotels?

I don't understand!!!

I guess you'll not only have to connect the dots for me, but do it with a GIANT BLACK PERMANENT MARKER.

By John K at October 3, 2007 6:07 PM

What's going to happen to the homeless kids that used to live there. Covenant House was for young homeless with nowhere to go.

The service they provided was needed and a godsend to a lot of young New Yorkers.

Now, it's turning into a luxury hotel? Sad. Just sad.

By Pierre B. at October 4, 2007 12:40 AM

Pierre, the New York Times says the building owned by Covenant House was empty.

"Covenant House, a private nonprofit group that runs shelters for runaway and homeless youths, sold a vacant Chelsea building it owned for $70 million to Hampshire Hotels and Resorts this week ..."

I am sure they are going to be using the $70 million to continue their good work.

By John K at October 4, 2007 11:28 PM