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New hotel planned for Salmon Arm

Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott to build, applying for rezoning with city
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New 95-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel planned for Salmon Arm, set to be complete in 2019. Image credit: Photo contributed.

A new hotel will be opening its doors in Salmon Arm in 2019, if all goes according to plan.

Hollypark Hotels Corporation has announced that Marriott International has approved its plans to build a $15.5 million dollar Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel at 790-16th St. NE, across from Salmon Arm Secondary’s Jackson campus.

The 1.8-acre parcel was previously owned by the Turner family, pioneers in the region’s apple-growing industry.

“We purchased the land directly from the Turner family, who have owned the land for more than 120 years, so we look forward to recognizing the property’s origins,” stated Sam Dhillon, chief executive officer of Hollypark, which will construct and own the hotel to be operated under a franchise agreement with Marriott International.

Hollypark has applied for a rezoning and development permit with the City of Salmon Arm. The zoning is to be amended from R-1, single family residential, to C-6, tourist/recreation commercial zone. The new zoning is in keeping with the city’s official community plan.

First and second readings of the rezoning application will take place at council’s next meeting, Nov. 27, at Victory Hall in Canoe. A public hearing will be held on Dec. 11 in council chambers in Salmon Arm.

Construction of the six-storey, 95-room hotel is set to begin in 2018 with completion slated for 2019.

The project is expected to create 75 construction jobs, up to 30 permanent hotel jobs once open, and contribute upwards of $175,000 of additional tax revenue to the city every year.

“We’re excited to invest in a growing community like Salmon Arm,” Dhillon stated. “Tourism in the region is thriving and there’s a real sense of optimism about the future of this city. We hope that our investment and confidence in the market will attract further investment to the area.”

Dhillon says his company strongly believes in supporting the communities it operates in by utilizing local contractors and suppliers where possible.

“This significant investment by Hollypark Hotels Corporation will not only create new employment opportunities in our community, it will also support the ongoing expansion of Salmon Arm’s tourism economy,” remarked Bill Laird, chair of the Salmon Arm Economic Development Society. “Salmon Arm Economic Development Society is pleased to work with Hollypark as they progress towards the opening of their Fairfield Inn and Suites.”

Clint Gavel, director of design & construction for Hollypark, expressed accolades for Salmon Arm: “Staff at the city and the economic development society have been incredibly supportive of the project, which is one of the reasons we’ve decided to break ground in 2018, pushing it ahead of some of our other projects.”

Design elements are described as a modern exterior with a signature tower, a curved porte-cochere and an inviting glass entrance.

“We’ve incorporated Fairfield’s newest design, which places a high value on authentic uses of natural materials and textures,” stated Gavel. “We’ll also be providing greater landscaping than required by the city’s bylaws to soften the transition of the building to the adjacent spaces, including the use of indigenous vegetation.”

@SalmonArm
marthawickett@saobserver.net

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Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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