Image courtesy of Embarc

Developers are reviving hotel plans for the Hotel Alexandra building in Boston with a redesign eliminating a high-rise addition to the historic structure.

The hotel plans were scrapped in 2021 following the onset of the COVID pandemic in favor of multifamily units.

Now, the current development team has returned to plan A, submitting a new, smaller design for a “traditional brownstone” addition that would match the height of the existing structure on the South End/Roxbury line.

“The new hotel will enhance the South End’s residential character by introducing a complementary use to this vibrant neighborhood,” the development team led by Thomas Calus and Jas Bhagel wrote in a submission to the Boston Planning Department.

The site at the corner of Washington Street and Massachusetts Avenue includes a pair of parcels, including a vacant lot at 1769 Washington St. where the addition would be constructed.

The latest hotel plan includes just 68 hotel rooms, to be located within the existing 27,200 square-foot building footprint and a 12,100 square-foot addition.

Alexandra Partners acquired the property for $11 million in 2019, shortly after receiving Zoning Board of Appeal approval for an earlier version of the project. The larger version would have included a 13-story addition and totaled 150 hotel rooms.

But in 2021, following the onset of the COVID pandemic, developers submitted an update replacing the hotel rooms with compact living-style residential condominium units.

Only the facade of the dilapidated 1875 structure would be retained. Developers plan to restore the building exterior and replicate the original window and storefront appearances.

The latest plans will require approval from the Boston Planning Department and South End Landmark District Commission.