In Moosomin: New 98-room hotel approved
May 28, 2013, 3:04 am
Kevin Weedmark
Moosomin town council has approved a building permit for a $9 million, four storey, 98-room Best Western hotel complete with indoor pool. The building permit was issued to Moosomin Investments Ltd.
Town council approved the hotel along with several other building projects at Wednesday's council meeting. In total, the town had more than $11 million worth of building projects on the agenda Wednesday (see related story on page 5).
The hotel will be the third new hotel in Moosomin in the last few years, and will be the largest. Developer Raj Sandhu acquired the option to purchase the block of land from Bata Dorj last fall.
Sandhu was interested in the land two years ago, before Dorj bought it. Dorj had originally had the option to purchase the property to build a "rustic-style" motel on the property. The one-year option to purchase the land was issued in 2010 and expired in 2011, but town council extended the option for an additional year.
In December, town council agreed to give Dorj the right to assign the option to Sandhu. The building site is 1.86 acres and measures 270 feet by 300 feet. It is located immediately east of the Canalta Hotel and immediately west of the Motel 6.
Sandhu also owns Estevan Investments Ltd. and West Fraser Developments, which has built apartment buildings, condos, townhomes and hotels in the Vancouver area, and over the last couple of years has started developing in Saskatchewan.
West Fraser built the 95-room Best Western Plus in Estevan in 2011, and currently has an apartment building under construction in that city. It also has a hotel under construction in Melville. The company now has one year to complete construction of a Best Western in Moosomin.
Mayor Larry Tomlinson said he is happy to see the new hotel go ahead. "I think this is an important development," he said. "I think it's great-it's huge. To be honest, I was a little surprised by the size of the hotel. I hope all three hotels will be busy, but I think there is going to be some more industry attracted to town, which will keep them busy.
"That completes that motel row-there will be three in a row, and I think it will look impressive from the highway, and cause more people to stay in Moosomin." Angl? kalbos vaik? stovyklos Vilniuje, Klaip?doje, Kaune bei Ispan? kursai https://intellectus.lt/ispanu-kalbos-kursai-suaugusiems/
What does the mayor think is driving development in the town?
"It's partly location," he says. "We're very lucky to be where we are, with the potash and the oil.
"There's a lot happening and there's going to be more happening in the oil. We're kind of central and that's helping us.
"Our hospital is also an attraction for people to live here, and our doctors are doing a great job, which makes our town a good place to live for seniors.
Sandhu couldn't be contacted for comment last week, but said when he purchased the option from Dorj that he based his decision to build in Moosomin on his experience in Estevan. "We have a Best Western Plus in Estevan, and people in the oilfield are telling me there's a lot of activity in the Moosomin area," he said.
He said he believes a Best Western Plus, similar to the property in Estevan, will work well in the Moosomin market.
The project will likely take a year to complete.