Every once in a while the dumb decisions made at city hall irk me the wrong way and enough to write in.
This time it is about the hotel development next to CN Centre. When I read this I just shook my head that staff at city hall, council, the developer and the hotel chain would all think this was a good idea. Why in the world would anyone put a hotel in a residential / light industrial area out of the downtown area or off any main highway or through artery? It won't even be close for patrons to walk to a choice of restaurants, shopping, or a mall. How many people want to stay at a hotel off the beaten path, in a residential or light industrial area, and without close proximity to amenities.
People unfamiliar with the city will either not even see it or not know how to get to it. This hotel will impede on the green space and quiet of a neighborhood and once up is up for good. It will probably suffer from high vacancy rates due to its location, especially in off season, and will end up a vacant building when income doesn't maintain it's viability.
Is it nice to see development coming in, sure. But put this hotel either downtown, on a major arterial highway, or in a retail shopping district. Nobody seems to be remembering the adage "location, location, location" in this case.
I am sure there are enough land options available to find a proper spot for this project.
Rich Atken
Prince George
