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The Syracuse City Planning Commission approved the application to convert the Mayflower Hotel, a former branch of the Collegian Hotel & Suites, into an apartment complex at their meeting Monday evening.

The renovation will transform the hotel, housed in an almost 100-year-old structure, into a 52-unit apartment complex. The Mayflower previously served as an extended-stay hotel but ceased operations on Oct. 2, according to site plans submitted to the city.

In April 2024, real estate developer Timberwolf Capital Partners purchased the Mayflower from Scholar Hotel Group Syracuse, which still owns the neighboring Collegian, for $7.4 million. The Mayflower, which also previously housed college students, sits a couple blocks away from Syracuse University’s North Campus.

Brian Bouchard, a project engineer for CHA Consulting, spoke during Monday’s CPC meeting on behalf of applicant and owner John Hoover. Hoover works under Shin Mayflower LLC, a limited liability company created solely for the transaction, Bouchard said. He is also the current manager of Timberwolf Capital Partners.

Bouchard presented plans to renovate the interior of the building into a functional, multi-family apartment complex. The project will focus on interior renovations and keep the facade of the building the same. He did not say whether the building would be marketed toward students.

The six-story building currently holds 82 hotel rooms. According to the application, the proposed renovation will create 52 apartment units. Its 82-space parking lot will remain available for residents.

In 2018, Scholar Syracuse bought the Mayflower, previously the Genesee Grande Hotel, from developer Norm Swanson for $16.6 million, according to syracuse.com. At the time, the Mayflower was still an extended-stay hotel.

Another development group, Opus Development Co., previously planned to completely demolish the Collegian and replace it with a 145-unit student apartment building in 2023. The demolition plan was approved by the CPC at a February 2023 meeting, but Opus pulled out of the project two months later.

Bouchard said the current plans include several improvements to the side entrance of the new apartment building, including a pedestrian courtyard and outdoor amenity spaces. The hotel’s driveway, now used for deliveries, will be converted into an accessible sidewalk to make the area easier for residents to navigate, he said.

The commission’s approval also considers the concerns of community members in the surrounding neighborhood, like reducing the amount of idling construction trucks to limit noise disturbances.

Bouchard said the Collegian and Mayflower buildings will continue to coexist, as they share the same water and electricity systems. The new apartments will contain the same structure and appliances as former hotel rooms, he said.

Now that the CPC has approved the Mayflower building application, the final proposal will go to the Syracuse Common Council for a final vote.

Published on October 21, 2024 at 11:44 pm

Contact Madeline: mmgoodhe@syr.edu