Committee recommends hotel development without reservation

The proposition for a $25 million hotel development near the waterfront is hitting new heights. 

The plans paint the picture of a six-storey, 100-room Homewood Suites hotel by Hilton and two stand-alone structures for a 200-seat restaurant and a Starbucks coffee shop at 495 Oak Street West. 

While the early signs of construction are already taking shape, the proposal inched closer to its final approval on Monday night as the Community Services Committee approved the recommendation to allow the downtown development to take place.

“I really do believe that it will become a destination hotel for people that come to North Bay,” said Coun. Mark King, the chair of Community Services. “The sheer fact that they’re within walking distance of the waterfront is really, really important. 

“We deal with a lot of negatives often on council and it can be somewhat taxing for councillors,” he added. “But every once in a while something really good comes along that you can get behind and support that makes sense for the city, and this is one of those moments.”

Developers have already started excavating at the site of maximum impact and, ultimately, the team are hoping to have the project completed by Spring 2017. 

“It’s Northern Ontario - we’ve got a pretty small window of opportunity and it’s a big building,” said Paul Goodridge of Goodridge Planning and Surveying. “They’re hoping to have it fully closed by November - get everything done on the exterior and get all the windows in place so they can heat it inside and do all the interior work in the winter months.” 

Hospitality property management and development company Vrancor Group of Hamilton, Ont, is developing the estimated $25 million complex. Despite the company’s prolific portfolio though, the group is considering the new development as a rare opportunity. 

“This one they’re regarding more as a showpiece because of its location downtown and at the waterfront,” said Goodridge. “This is the one that they want to have really look pretty.”

Members of the public were invited to share their thoughts and concerns at the public meeting, but no one stepped up to the podium this time around. 

The city’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) approved the proposal at the end of April after already addressing a long list of concerns. 

The major issue throughout the PAC process was the impact the development might have on competing hotels, who argued the reported 52 per cent occupancy rate will only be made worse by the Vrancor’s latest project. 

Meanwhile, others had reservations about traffic flow in the area - particularly congestion on Memorial Drive from left-turners on to Oak Street - as well as sufficient parking space and the Starbucks drive-through.

The developers provided a traffic impact study in February and the city’s engineering department agree their concerns will be mitigated in the design measures, including a raised median on Memorial Drive to physically prevent drivers from clogging the Memorial Drive, Main Street and Oak Street intersection. 

Oak Street will also be widened by four metres, including a boulevard and sidewalk, as well as the construction of a new link of trail to link to in front of Marina Point, tying the path together with downtown. 

“We are satisfied and agree with the response letter to our traffic comments, specifically the addition of a median on Memorial to address queuing and turning conflict concerns,” they stated.

“Just the general complexity of what’s transpiring downtown as you start to see more out of town people in the core of the city is very, very positive in my mind,” said King. 

The city’s Official Plan limits the height increases of the property to just one-storey, but by amending the bylaw, council will be permitting the development to include hotels and restaurants and increase the maximum height of the building from three stories to six stories.

The property is at the northern limit of the city’s Central Business District, but the design of the building will minimize the impact on surrounding properties and maintain the views of Lake Nipissing.

“It is staff’s opinion that it is not the Official Plan’s intent to restrict height in lands adjacent to the downtown, but rather to prevent a ‘wall’ in the downtown core, where height is generally established by existing buildings,” said city staff. 

King and other councillors are hoping the hotel becomes a precedent-setting demand-generator driving traffic and visitors to the business core. 

“One of the things that we needed to recognize was the commercial side of what transpires in the city,” said King. “We’re working on this plan right now that connects the waterfront to Main Street and in between the rail lands and the question is how do we improve the private sector commercial development to make the whole thing work? 

“I’m sure other developers will be looking,” he added. “There are other private properties down there that could lend to other commercial development, which will really tie the downtown to the lakefront - it’s kind of that missing spot that’s not there.”