Waterford ― An attorney representing New Jersey-based Seven Hills Hospitality Group, which is proposing to build a four-story Woodspring Suites on the New London line, said the hotel would stimulate the town’s economy and improve a gateway to the community.

Seven Hills is targeting 2024 for construction of the 122-room hotel, in hopes of opening it to the public in 2025, said project attorney William Sweeney on Wednesday.

“It cleans up some really blighted properties that are an eyesore and are a detriment to that neighborhood. To do it by high quality, extended-stay hotel is really a positive thing in our perspective,” he said.

Sweeney gave a preliminary presentation on the project to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission two weeks ago. He told commissioners the hotel generate up to $500,000 annually in tax revenue for the town, bringing in people who would spend money locally and beautify the 4.5-acre site, which is one of the first things people see as they enter the town via Willetts Avenue or Boston Post Road.

Sweeney said four parcels would be used for the hotel ― 16 and 18 Boston Post Road, owned by Silverman Realty Group, and 295 and 313 Willetts Avenue, owned by Londregan Commercial Real Estate Group. He said the sales would hinge on zoning approval.

Replacing blighted properties

The parcels include the former site of McNamara’s Sports Pub and Grill and next door, covered in vines, with windows boarded up, is a red house. The paint on both buildings is chipped and patchy, and weeds jut up through cracked driveway asphalt.

At the November meeting, Sweeney agreed with town officials that the blighted buildings and vacant lots provide a less-than-stellar welcome to people entering the town from New London.

“Rather than having a rundown, blighted building with graffiti, you actually have a professionally managed hotel complex, owned by a professional hospitality company with a national brand on it, with national standards, something that looks nice that has a professionally landscaped site plan,” he said.

Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Gregory Massad called the hotel “a good use of the property.”

Sweeney explained to the commission that extended-stay hotels are designed to accommodate guests looking to stay for longer periods, often several weeks at a time. Woodspring’s typical clientele, he said, are college-educated, often business travelers.

“These people who are at the hotel on these temporary assignments will shop locally, they’ll go to the local restaurants, they’ll go to the local supermarket. They’ll bring money into the Waterford economy,” Sweeney said.

He said Seven Hills was drawn to the site by the large workforce in the area, which includes employees of Pfizer, Dominion, Electric Boat and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

Sweeney said Seven Hills expects to receive a special permit from the commission before winter’s end, and an inland wetlands permit this month.

Hotel details

Woodspring Suites is a subsidiary of the Choice Hotels International Group, which currently franchises over 7,000 hotels in the world and also includes subsidiaries such as Radisson Hotels, Comfort Inn and Quality Inn, Sweeney said.

The four-story building would feature a neutral color palette while the interior suites would be simple, clean and utilitarian, he said. The hotel would have entrances to each street and would have substantial landscaping.

Each suite would have its own kitchenette, complete with a small range, sink, microwave and full-size refrigerator Additionally, the hotel would provide guests with free wifi, a gym, laundry services and a vending machine.

There would be Individual HVAC systems for each suite while windows, lighting, water heaters and appliance would all be energy-efficient, Sweeney said.

d.drainville@theday.com