Worcester, MA — Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is facing significant backlash from Worcester’s business and political leaders over its proposal to acquire and convert two local hotels into student housing. This move, they argue, could undermine the city’s economic development efforts and disrupt the goals of the multimillion-dollar Gateway Park Project.
The hotels in question are the Hampton Inn & Suites at 65 Prescott St. and the Courtyard Marriott at 72 Grove St., both of which are integral to the Gateway Park Project. This project, backed by approximately $170 million in public and private funding, aimed to revitalize contaminated lands and repurpose old industrial buildings into a mixed-use development. It includes WPI’s 125,000-square-foot Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center.
In a letter sent on Friday to WPI President Grace Wang and the chair of the institute’s board of trustees, Worcester’s Economic Development Coordinating Council expressed strong disapproval of WPI’s plans. The letter, signed by Mayor Joseph M. Petty, City Manager Eric D. Batista, and Tim Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, highlights several key concerns: