Coquitlam is well on its way to welcome a brand new hotel tower providing accommodation for individuals from near and far as there was an official approval of a previously filed application. This is going to see a hotel venue located in the vicinity of the existing Hard Rock Casino.
Over the span of the past several years, there have been many attempts at introducing a hotel venue in the region of the casino location, elevating its offerings and potentially attracting even more individuals to it. In this sense, last week was an especially successful one, as it put an end to the waiting game, giving green light to the hotel venue construction. It could be recalled that the year 2016 saw Great Canadian Gaming Corporation file its application for a hotel venue permit, according to the mandatory process.
Hotel Tower Expected in the Foreseeable Future
In addition to this application, there was also a zoning amendment one, aiming to further enrich offerings on site and bring more people to the area. All mandatory requirements for the issuing were met by the casino developer and operator, which is why the City staff gave its nod to the project. This is only the start of a long process which is eventually going to see the region welcome the brand new hotel tower.
For the time being, an operator overseeing management of the new hotel venue has not been pinpointed by the casino developer, but this is expected to happen in the foreseeable future. The zoning amendment application field two years ago strove to bring some changes to the status quo and facilitate the introduction of an event location able to host a wide variety of open-air concerts and congregations of people.
Up until last week the two applications were at their final stage, meaning that they had received the nod of city officials. What was needed was the casino developer and operator to provide information about the hospitality company which is going t manage the planned accommodation venue. They year 2017 provided the applications with a 12-month extension, giving the developer more time to pick the most suitable partner for this venture.
Timeline of the Applcation Process
Raj Mutti, GCGC Vice-President of West Operations, stated shortly after the official approval that this is the first step of a long process which would see all aspects of the project finalized. The permit for construction work on the hotel tower will be one of the pivotal moments of this project, but prior to it the Ministry of Transportation will also have to give its approval. Furthermore, the field will have to be subjected to careful scrutiny, as evaluations and projections for the upcoming year would be vital at this point.
According to the approved application, the new hotel tower will have some 141 rooms available for booking by the guests. The hotel tower itself will rise 12 floors from the ground, providing excellent view above the area and the local skyline. Ever since its initial proposal, the project was significantly reduced in both size and room count, as the original plan for action featured a hotel tower with 181 premium rooms across 11 stories. Previous even braver plans dating back to 2011 cite a 21-story hotel featuring 194 rooms.
The lobby of this hotel building is set to span over 3,200 square feet and for the time being the initial plan for a cafe on site has been scrapped by the casino developer. This is all being done in order to reduce the overall footprint of the location and to boost its chances of approval. Among its advantages is the relative proximity to Highway 1, Lougheed Highway and United Boulevard marking an area of high traffic and subsequently more eyeballs.
Projections stated this new addition is going to cost about CA$500,000 to its developer. In the meantime, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver bearing the worldwide-known brand has managed to draw high rollers pouring about CA$2.5 million in cash transactions surpassing CA$10,000 over 2016 and 2017. Such transactions should be reported to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. The reports of such high-roller activity in the region come as no surprise, amid a whirlpool of casino money laundering discoveries and investigations.
