The Northeast Group has plans to build a hotel on the triangle of land bordered by Thorndike and Shearer streets and the Exit 8 toll plaza.
Leon H. Dragone
PALMER – The Northeast Group, which is leasing land on the east side of Thorndike Street to developers of a proposed casino resort, announced plans Wednesday for a hotel and restaurant on the west side of Thorndike Street, just north of the Massachusetts Turnpike exit.
Spokesman James St. Amand said Northeast manager Leon H. Dragone plans to exercise options to buy the hotel site, obtain town permits for the project and sell it to developers who would build the hotel for one of the national chains.
St. Amand said this project would move ahead regardless of whether a casino is built across the street, and if the casino is built the hotel would probably be enlarged..
The Northeast Group is proposing a 100-room room hotel, a sit-down restaurant, gas station and drive-through coffee shop on a 15-acre triangle of land it has options to buy,” St. Amand said.
The land has a few houses being lived in now and is bordered by the Turnpike property and Thorndike and Shearer streets.
St. Amand said attorney Joseph White will represent Northeast before the Planning Board, seeking site plan approval for the project.
Most of the land is zoned highway business, St. Amand said, but a zone change from residential to business would be needed for a portion of it that fronts onto Shearer Street.
Across Thorndike Street from this project site and the Turnpike exit, Northeast owns 152 acres that is being leased to Mohegan Sun, which has plans to build a casino resort with its own hotel, if casino gambling is legalized in Massachusetts and the tribal organization can obtain a license and financing.
Gov. Deval L. Patrick and the state Legislature worked on legislation last year to legalize up to three casinos in Massachusetts, but the process fell apart, mostly over a dispute between Patrick and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo over details of whether to also legalize slot machines.
St. Amand said financing for the hotel and restaurant development in the Thorndike-Shearer street triangle would come from investment partners whose names would be made public when a site plan is approved for the project.
