The hotel will be built. It may be a year later but the demand is there. The existing hotels will be really busy as will the transportation sector. We have a new Ramada just north of downtown and two decent hotels within walking distance.Originally Posted by sustainibertarian
If Suro does not follow through on their commitment someone will step in. With the shortage of construction workers and materials in BC right now, it may be prudent to wait a year.
So maybe the hotel is unnecessary? Could Suro be waiting it out to see if the demand is there for another hotel?
back to the news article (or not if you are not interested)...
Why is it so unimportant when the hotel gets built? Wasn't the date of completion for the hotel already setback to 2010? A conference centre without the adjacent hotel is surely missing an important component, is it not?
Further, as I stated previously...
"Of course it is relevant if the hotel is not built on time, because the hotel is supposed to be a key component of the conference centre. Yes it will probably still be built eventually (although some cities in the US, such as Portland have been forced to provide huge subsidies for the construction of conference centre hotels). It is questionable if it will be built immediately if this deal falls through. There is less risk and more profitability for developers in building condos. Probably why Millennium (or was it Suro?) spent $500,000,000 on land in Vancouver for condos."
2008-FEB-25 City of Nanaimo website Hotel Update
• The partnership between the City of Nanaimo and Millennium and Suro (formerly Triarc) has always envisioned the development of a hotel in conjunction with the Port of Nanaimo Centre and the Vancouver Island Conference Centre.
• Now that Millennium and Suro have signed a construction management agreement to proceed with building the hotel, it is necessary for the City to transfer the land on which the hotel will be built to Millennium/Suro. Ownership of the land is required to register financing. Construction is scheduled to start by 2008-MAY-31.
Construction is scheduled to start by May 31, 2008. Some construction HAS been started. There has been digging and other geotechnical engineering work done.
I don't understand what Portland and Vancouver have to do with Nanaimo or did we adopt these cities as our twins?
What is the name of the place?
Nanaimo Conference Centre?
VI Conference Centre?
Port of Nanaimo Centre
Gary Korpan Campaign headquarters?
Elvis Centre?
The Friends of Plan Nanaimo brought in an 'expert' who only knew about large urban US convention centers. I never understood how they thought that remotely related to Nanaimo. Particularly as the 'expert' readily admitted having zero knowledge of the Canadian convention market.
His report focused primarily on cities like St Louis and Philadelphia
An expert is someone with an extensive knowledge in a given subject. How can someone be an expert if they don't have any knowledge of Canadian Conference Centres, only American Centres?
If an expert says it can't be, get another expert - David Ben-Gurion
Definition of a consultant ~ someone who asks for your watch then tells you what time it is.
Heard an interesting rumour today about the hotel. There is speculation afoot that the hotel is going to be reworked and tied in with the redevelopment of Port Place. Two residential towers and a hotel tower all tied together and tied to the casino expansion and mall redevelopment.
Remember this is only a rumour.
Today there was an insert in the Daily News that helped shed some light on the names associated with the conference centre.
" The Vancouver Island Conference Centre is the flagship of the new Port of Nanaimo Centre, an impressive structure that houses the Nanaimo Museum, 200 seat Shaw Auditorium, the Port Theatre, 15,000 square feet of retail space and two levels of underground parking. " I wonder if the Diana Krall Plaza, Library and the Credit Union are part of the Port of Nanaimo Centre also?
The casino which is on different property then the mall stated a couple months ago about their plans for a new casino to be built in two stages. The first stage would be facing towards the conference centre and hotel, then the existing casino property would be demolished for the second stage which would include the possibility of a residential tower or two. The owners of the mall property have hinted at rebuilding Port Place similar to North Nanaimo Town Centre making all stores (Thrifty's, London Drugs and others) accessible from outside instead of a mall theme. It would also include condos and townhouses.
Rumours abound ... .. .. but we will be seeing a different look on our downtown core over the next few years. Wasn't this part of the plan of the development of a conference centre?
Ah, but some people arent able to get their heads around the fact that it isnt EXACTLY as proposed.
I wouldnt think so, they were there long before the PNC
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