The Town of Stonington Planning and Zoning Commission approved the proposed Delamar hotel at a special meeting March 3. The decision paved the way for the demolition of Latitude 41° Restaurant and the construction of a new boutique hotel and restaurant.
The three-story, 27-room boutique hotel and restaurant, to be called the Delamar Mystic, will be located further back on the property closer to the Mystic River. The space now occupied by Latitude 41° will be converted to a circular driveway with valet parking. Architect Bruce Beinfield of Norwalk, CT, who cited the area’s grand beach hotels of the 19th century as his inspiration, designed the building.
The developer for the project is Greenwich Hospitality Group, which will lease the property from the Museum. The company’s founder and chief operating officer is Charles Mallory, who was a longtime trustee of the Museum. Greenwich Hospitality Group operates Delamar hotels in Greenwich, Southport, and West Hartford.
The Museum built the Latitude building in the mid-1960s as a restaurant. In addition to issues associated with the structure’s age, it suffers from regular flooding and it was determined the best course forward would be to replace the building and not renovate it.
Plans call for Latitude 41° to be razed in early 2021 followed by a groundbreaking for the hotel. Construction will continue into 2022.
