A new Hampton Inn by Hilton is under construction near the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, with plans to open in early 2018.
Hotel developer and manager Cherry Cove Group broke ground about 10 days ago on the five-story, 115-room hotel, said Jim Gosnell, senior vice president of development at the St. Mary's County firm. It is the firm's first project in Baltimore as developer and owner.
The 6571 Eastern Avenue project, which is scheduled to formally mark its groundbreaking Monday, is expected to cost more than $17 million, Gosnell said. That includes about $1.2 million in acquisition costs
Gosnell said the firm saw an opportunity to serve patients visiting the Bayview campus, and appreciated the growth potential in the Baltimore market. It will act as a both owner and manager for the new hotel. It also is working on plans for a Homewood Suites near Bayview, according to its website.
"I think Baltimore has a lot to offer," Gosnell said. "We're real bullish on it."
The project sits close to Interstate 95, less than a mile east of the site of the former PEMCO porcelain enamel coating factory, which is being redeveloped into a mixed use project also expected to include a hotel.