Welcome To The Hotel New Bedford-Such A Lovely Place

There's plenty of room at the pending Hotel New Bedford. Can you imagine Don Henley singing that? According to plans released by a Boston investment firm they have the green light to spend $10M of their money to refurbish the old home of WBSM into a 68 room, five story hotel. $10M!!! A hotel complete with a restaurant and lots of banquet space. The big eyesore at Union and Pleasant streets is finally getting a face lift. I feel sorry for the homeless man that sleeps across the street at the Webster bank. Progress is progress, and there isn't much of a profit margin housing the homeless.

It may take up to two years, but when all is said and done, expect, EXPECT a 3,300 square foot restaurant and more footage as banquet space. Are you feelin' me here. Add a lounge and we're talking either jazz/blues or comedy seven nights a week. Build it and the artists will come. Can you dig it?

Playing honest Abe here, I'm not sure today downtown needs an additional 68 bedrooms for infrequent out-of-town guests. Depending on the room price, the hotel may fit the bill for those needing a brief stay over before their visit next door to Probate Court. On the brighter side, on those moonlit evenings when the "Z" is hosting a hot act, this new sleep joint will be closer than the Seaport Inn, Fairfield Inn and the flop house on Huddleston.

And looking into the not to distant future, some of these 68 rooms could be vacant for Project First Light guests who can't find bedding closer to Taunton.