More than 400 people, including mayor Tom Ferrini, city manager John Bohenko and other city, state and business leaders celebrated the grand opening of the new Residence Inn by Marriott on June 9th. The eco-friendly hotel and adjacent Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center are Phase 1 of Portwalk, a mixed-use development that will link downtown with the city's Northern Tier.
A joint venture between Cathartes Private Investments and S & S Hotels, the new 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council with the certification goal of LEED Silver for its green construction and operating practices. The hotel was designed and constructed by Pro Con, Inc and is being managed by Colwen Management.
"Building an environmentally sensitive, energy efficient hotel is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do", said Mark Stebbins, principal with S & S Hotels. "We are supporting the City's goal to reduce its carbon footprint, while reducing our operating expenses and meeting the concerns of many guests who prefer to travel 'green'."
The Residence Inn by Marriott is using environmentally sound design and construction processes such as:
· Reduced water usage by 30%
· Recycled construction waste - 95%
· Optimized energy management systems
· Use of local building materials to reduce carbon in transport
· Heat-reducing reflective roof system
· Use of low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) materials to keep air clean
· Utilization of "Green Cleaning" practices
· Use of non CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons) refrigerants
The hotel also features complimentary breakfast, smartly designed spacious suites, luxury bedding, complimentary Wi-Fi and ample power outlets, fully equipped kitchens, indoor pool and Fitness Center and Business Center with internet, fax and printers.
Cathartes Private Investments Principal, Jeff Johnston said, "We are proud to unveil a building that honors Portsmouth's historic architecture, but also offers today's modern amenities. We are especially proud to have created more than one hundred construction jobs during the recession, and thirty permanent hospitality jobs downtown."
The new Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center, which is located adjacent to the hotel, is scheduled to open in late June. The full-service conference center will offer a 4,500 s/f room for corporate and private functions. Featuring high ceilings, large windows and generous outdoor space, the facility will cater to groups of 25 to 300 people. The event center is also expected to be the first LEED-certified conference facility in the greater Seacoast area.
Portwalk's goal is to ultimately feature four LEED-certified buildings offering mixed uses.
In addition to the new hotel and conference center, Portwalk's master plan includes downtown residences, retail shops, cafés and restaurants, and more than 175,000 s/f of office space. The four buildings will be connected by a two-lane, one-way, thoroughfare with on-street parking and wide sidewalks. The thoroughfare, to be named Portwalk Place, will be aligned with the Vaughan Mall walkway, to create a large pedestrian loop that will connect Congress St. with Deer St. The project will encompass nearly the entire block between High St. and Maplewood Ave., west of the Hilton Garden Inn and Portsmouth's historic Hill District.