The long-planned Revelstoke Crossing development could get underway this year, Revelstoke city council heard at their Jan. 10 meeting.
City planning director John Guenther provided an update on the project at council's first regular meeting of 2012.
He said if all goes well, final planning work could be done in three months, meaning summer construction was possible. "They're really anxious to get going," Guenther said of the developers.
Guenther said there were two existing plans on the table. One is a four-lot plan, the other an eight-lot plan. They differ in the layout of the restaurants and roads within the large plot. City administrator Tim Palmer said his preference was for the eight-lot plan.
Both plans show four approximately 100-room hotels, about three fast food restaurants and one sit-down restaurant. The main entrance would be at the intersection of Highway 23 North and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Big Bend Development Corp. received approval for the project through rezoning in 2005. Guenther told council that the delay had been caused by a number of factors, including environmental approvals due to contaminated soil. Provincial approval for highway access has also been an issue.
The lot is in a comprehensive development zone, which basically means the developer is allowed more flexibility in developing the parcel, but allows the city planning department more say in decisions and approvals. The lot is bounded by the CP Rail Line, the Trans-Canada Highway and the building that houses the Subway restaurant.
CAO Tim Palmer told council it would likely be a phased development, saying the developer had a "potential" hotel client to get started with the first phase.
On a conceptual plan distributed to council, one hotel was listed at 90 rooms, two had 120 rooms and one had 150 rooms.
Mayor David Raven excused himself from the discussion "because of the perception that there may be conflict," he said. During his bid for mayor in 2008, Raven received campaign contributions from Steve Platt, a key developer behind the project.