The rumor that the former Holiday Inn at 618 Delaware Avenue was going residential was incorrect. Benderson Development has taken over the property and is planning a top-to-bottom transformation to convert the hotel into a Residence Inn by Marriott. The eight-story Holiday Inn was built in 1966 and currently has 167 rooms. Hart Hotels had been operating the hotel though the property is owned by Benderson.

Details from The Buffalo News:

The $8.15 million project calls for demolishing the interior of the hotel, except for the stairways and elevator core, and rebuilding it with 105 extended-stay rooms, a hotel lobby, commercial space, and a Starbucks or other coffee shop on the ground floor.

Outside, Benderson wants to update the facade, which currently features an exposed concrete frame that shows the cantilevered floor slabs and cement columns, with a dark-metal frame and insulated glass. The new look will be a “thin-set” natural brown brick veneer, with fiberglass-reinforced concrete, a gray pre-cast base, gray window frames and glass, and a decorative off-white metal panel system to “cap” the building with cornice and trim details. There will also be a porte cochere, with a new roof cornice, and the outdoor pool will be enclosed for year-round use.

This will be the third Marriott flag in the city and the second operated by Benderson. Its Courtyard by Marriott at One Canalside opened in 2004. The Marriott HARBORCENTER opened its doors in August 2015.

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