The hotel development planned for Grenfell Drive is a go, though the man behind the project says he’s not yet in a position to give all the details.
Roger Jones had begun site preparation for the hotel property three years ago, but temporarily put the enterprise on the backburner to concentrate on some of his other business interests.
Jones owns Bayview Condominiums, the company that has transformed the Old Humber Road and Bannister’s Road area in the past several years with a residential project. He put the hotel project to the side so he could finish the condominium work.
With that now nearing completion, Jones has begun to get back to the hotel.
“With the announcement that the new hospital is going to be going in this area, this project makes even more sense now,” said Jones, who hopes the hotel will also be strategically placed to capitalize on activities related to both the nearby civic centre and Grenfell Campus, Memorial University.
Last December, he had asked the City of Corner Brook for a one-year extension to the requirement that he have at least a foundation constructed at the site in a timely fashion. The city council at the time granted him only six months to get that much done, but then gave him another extension earlier this year.
With the new deadline of Nov. 30 looming, Jones has started work on the foundation. Concrete was being poured at the site Thursday.
Previous reports had indicated the hotel would be a Super 8, but Jones said that is not the case anymore.
While he said he is still awaiting official confirmation of the hotel brand that will be constructed, he did confirm for The Western Star that his plans for the site will eventually include making space available for other amenities.
His vision includes a coffee shop, gas bar, office space and possibly two eating establishments.
Although the foundation is being poured to meet the conditions of acquiring the land from the city, Jones said the primary building construction won’t start until the spring, and he expects it could be an 18-month building process.
