Randy Salvatore – developer of the ongoing “Downtown North” project – has partnered with the owners of the financially struggling hotel in a plan to convert more than half of the rooms into apartments. The Waterford Group, which owns the struggling hotel, plans to renovate the remaining rooms. The deal depends on the City Council signing off on a restructuring of a land lease for the hotel grounds and millions of additional city and state assistance. The City Council would have to sign off on the terms of the deal. Members of the UNITE HERE Local 217 Federation of University Employees union have lobbied members of the council to slow down the approval process to ensure hotel workers are considered. The council, on Monday, agreed to forward the proposal to its Operations, Management, Budget & Government Accountability Committee and set a Dec. 20 public hearing.
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/hartford-city-council-advances-hilton-hotel-conversion-plan-as-union-workers-balk-at-deal