On the final day of June 2009, Extell filed plans for a 35-story, 180,000-square-foot hotel at 68 Charlton Street, between Hudson and Varick, The Observer reported at the time. Extell planned to have 300 rooms as part of a four-star hotel in its tower, run by a yet-to-be-determined operator, an Extell spokesman had told us. The Lucien Lagrange-designed building, to be named the Charlton SoHo, was to have a plaza at its base, a feature that would give the tower bonus development rights (the spokesman said it would be 34 stories high).

It was all so glorious, but then everything went quiet.

Now, in addition to the new financing, Extell has filed for a fence permit for construction work on the site. No word on whether the plans remain the same-but just about anything is better than the burned-out garage that's there now.

Extell declined to comment.

lkusisto@observer.com