Westin Hotel | ? m | 8 fl

[UrbanWaterloo]

Westin Hotel
Uptown Waterloo
Cancelled

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[UrbanWaterloo]

Local: Westin hotel could be coming to Waterloo
March 07, 2008 - Posted 5:39 p.m.
By LIZ MONTEIRO, RECORD STAFF
http://news.therecord.com/News/article/319880

The Westin, a luxury high-end hotel, could be coming to Uptown Waterloo.

Negotiations between Starwoods Hotels, First Gulf Development and the City of Waterloo are underway and the Westin could find itself on Willis Way, between King and Caroline streets.

Scott Duff, senior director of development for Canada and Alaska for Starwood Hotels, said the hotel chain is currently working with the developer but a contract has not yet been signed.

Duff said parking remains an outstanding issue. The 170-room hotel would be built on property owned by the developer but the parking garage which the hotel is asking for, would be built on city-owned property. That has yet to be determined, said Cameron Rapp, general manager of development services for the City of Waterloo.

Rapp said the city is interested in a hotel in the core area of the city. First Gulf Development president David Gibson declined to comment when reached yesterday.

Coun. Ian McLean, whose ward covers the core area, said he was aware of the possibility of Westin coming to Waterloo but referred inquiries to city staff.

“I don’t want to comment yet until I know what I can and can’t talk about,’’ said McLean.

For more on this story, see tomorrow's print edition of The Record.



A Westin for Waterloo?
Hotel chain likes prime location in city core, if parking is available
March 08, 2008
LIZ MONTEIRO - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO

http://media.therecord.com/images/a3/6b/0b4d0bc54cafac03ff8f50ec0a34.jpeg


A high-end hotel could be coming to the Waterloo core.

"We would certainly like to have representation in the Waterloo market,'' Scott Duff, senior director of development for Canada and Alaska for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, said yesterday.

Starwood Hotels, which operates nine hotel brands, is planning to build a Westin Hotel on Willis Way between King and Caroline streets.

Duff said the full-service hotel would offer 170 rooms, meeting rooms and conference facilities.

"We think there is a lot of demand that is unmet in the marketplace,'' said Duff, referring to the nearby Perimeter Institute and the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Duff said he is working with First Gulf Developments, the owner of the part of the property at the corner of Willis Way and Caroline Street and the company that is overseeing the transformation of Willis Way and redeveloped Waterloo Town Square.

But Duff said parking remains an outstanding issue. The hotel wants an above-ground parking garage adjacent to its high-rise building.

The land near the proposed hotel site is owned by the city and is now used for parking.

First Gulf president David Gibson declined to comment yesterday.

Cameron Rapp, general manager of development services for the City of Waterloo, said the city is interested in bringing an upper-scale hotel to the core area but negotiations with First Gulf have yet to begin.

Rapp said he did not know how much the hotel project would cost.

Rapp said "thoughtful consideration and review" must be taken if the city involves itself in building a parking garage sharing the cost with the developer.

"We need to work things out so that it is agreeable to the community when it involves city-owned lands,'' Rapp said.

"They (First Gulf) would like to see us pay more rather than less,'' Rapp said.

Rapp said a hotel in the core area would bring more people to the downtown, especially in the evenings, and "provide that vibrancy that we really want to push for.''

Rapp said local high-tech industries have told the city they want a high-end hotel to serve their out-of-town guests.

Coun. Ian McLean, who's ward covers the core area, said he was aware of the possibility of Westin coming to Waterloo but referred inquiries to city staff.

"I don't want to comment yet until I know what I can and can't talk about,'' said McLean.


Waterloo cool to spending on luxury hotel parking
By: Liz Monteiro, Waterloo Region Record (March 31/08)

Waterloo wants a luxury hotel uptown, but just how far the city and its taxpayers should go to attract one is a prickly issue.

There certainly isn't much support, either among politicians or city hall staff, for spending millions of dollars to sweeten the pot for the only luxury hotel proposed so far. Yet, the developer promoting the Westin Hotel project says the chain won't come if Waterloo doesn't foot most of the $4-million bill for a parking garage.

Mayor Brenda Halloran says that around the council table, there is no "flavour" for that kind of spending.

"When you sit here every night and you see how we struggle . . . to pay for (repairs to) potholes, I think it would be very difficult for council to tell the community that we are going to spend millions of dollars to pay for a parking garage and we can't fix our roads."

Coun. Ian McLean, who represents the uptown ward, is equally cool to the idea.

The 90 per cent funding for the garage sought by First Gulf Development Corp. "is not even in the ballpark" of what's possible, McLean said.

The proposal for a taxpayer-financed garage, which would go up on city-owned land, may be raising eyebrows, but the chair of First Gulf remains confident.

David Gibson is banking on the city's decade-long desire for a luxury hotel in its now-blossoming core, something the business community has clamoured for as well.

"I think there are many communities where they would absolutely die to have a Westin Hotel and would pay for all the parking,'' he said.

Gibson says he made it clear to the city last July that Westin won't move to Waterloo without parking. He pleaded the issue again earlier this month, suggesting his deal with Westin could be in jeopardy. Gibson doesn't think the garage proposal is at all outlandish.

"We thought we were giving them exactly what they wanted,'' he said of the city. "The previous mayors had spoken so fondly of a full-service hotel. So when we brought it to them, we were surprised with the reception we got."

The hotel would be built on Willis Way, between King and Caroline streets on land owned by Mississauga-based First Gulf.

Optimistic that Waterloo will come through, Gibson said he's "patiently waiting" to hear from city hall staff to negotiate a deal. He dismisses the suggestion he's threatening the city or delivering ultimatums.

Pierre Filion, a professor of urban planning at the University of Waterloo who specializes in downtowns and inner-city planning, agreed bringing a luxury hotel to the core "would be a feather in the cap" of the mayor and local politicians.

"But how far does the city go to subsidize the downtown?" he asked. "At some point, the downtown has to take off and fly on its own wings. The downtown should be pretty close to that."

Cameron Rapp, general manager of development services, said he recalls First Gulf proposing last fall that the majority of the cost of a parking garage be borne by the city. But there was no formalized process to the discussion, he said.

A city-initiated steering committee negotiating with First Gulf has not yet met, Rapp said.

Chris Pidgeon, a planner with GSP Group of Kitchener who is working with London-based Auburn Developments to develop the former Canbar lands into a $250-million development project in Waterloo, said Auburn is also looking to erect a high-end, 200-room hotel at Erb Street and Father David Bauer Drive.

Pidgeon said he doesn't think there is ah market available for two hotels in the core. "One of the other will bow out," he said.

The BarrelYards project has 1,000 underground parking spots and 400 spaces above ground. The seven-year project also includes highrise apartment buildings, condos, townhouses and retail and office space. City hall approved the plans last June and work is to begin this summer.


Waterloo can bargain from strong position
Waterloo Region Record - April 1, 2008

The City of Waterloo can afford to be choosy when picking its partner in the grand, downtown hotel jamboree. That's because more than one party wants to get into this expensive but highly profitable dance.

As it stands today, First Gulf Development is working hard to bring a 170-room Westin Hotel and convention centre into the city core, something the local business community has long wanted and something that could rightly be considered the icing on the cake of the hugely successful Waterloo Town Square redevelopment. Yes, this proposal is a promising one.

Unfortunately, First Gulf is behaving as if it's the only available date at this ball. It's insisting that city taxpayers pay 90 per cent of the cost of a parking garage that would serve the hotel's clients. That request could translate into a $3.6 million bill for taxpayers.

Under different circumstances, say, if the city was beating the bushes to find warm bodies interested in redeveloping its core, Waterloo might be wise to bite the bullet, give into the corporate demand for public support and hand over the money, knowing that when the hotel goes up, a healthy supply of business taxes will flow from it to the city. Under different circumstances, the city might be advised to say yes to any proposal tossed its way.

It can be tricky to know when to spend public money on a private, profit-making venture. Sometimes, cities dangle public money in front of developers to entice them to bite on a big project. The City of Kitchener, for instance, could wind up giving just over a hectare of land it spent $9.1 million acquiring downtown to a developer who would build on it. Such civic generosity is probably justified, given the checkered history of redevelopment in downtown Kitchener and the challenges that area faces.

But Waterloo is more fortunate. Its downtown revival is proceeding at full speed. And First Gulf isn't the only fish swimming in the downtown redevelopment sea.

There is another fair-sized flounder by the name of Auburn Developments. This London-based firm is trying to develop the former Canbar lands, also in the city's core. And guess what? As part of its $250-million project, Auburn wants to put up a high-end, 200-room hotel at Erb Street and Father David Bauer Drive -- just a stone's throw from where the proposed Westin Hotel would go.

First Gulf's plans may be further developed at this stage in the game. Auburn Developments might not want to go ahead with its hotel plans for another few years. But we would urge the City of Waterloo to persist in its current strategy of resisting First Gulf's demands. In this case, Waterloo isn't competing with other cities for a hotel. Two developers are competing to be the first, and perhaps for a long time, the only luxury hotel in the Waterloo core.

Waterloo should bat its eyes, demurely wave its fan and let First Gulf and Auburn vie for its affections. May the best developer win.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Waterloo Chronicle - May 21, 2008 - Page 3
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Lifting the curtain
Uptown business owners given a chance to view proposed new hotel development
By Greg MacDonald - Business - May 21, 2008
http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/article/129174

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An artist's rendering of the streetscape along Willis Way in uptown Waterloo features a proposed new Westin hotel in the core. Local business owners got their chance to see the proposal and voice their opinions on the project last week. The overwhelming response was that it would be another boost for the core. The one major snag is the development is dependent on a new parking structure, which developers hope will have some public financing.

A group of local business owners voiced their support for a proposed Westin hotel in the uptown core at a meeting last week.

Liz Stolper, owner of JBU, invited other uptown business owners to her store last week to gather information about the hotel and organize support for it.

More than 30 uptown business people gathered at the store's King Street location to learn more about the development.

The meeting was ostensibly an education session, but Stolper also used it as a call to arms.

"If we want this to be a world-class city, we have to do our part," she said. "If we're not vocal about (the hotel), council will make whatever decision they deem appropriate, which might not be the best one for our business."

The proposed hotel, which developer First Gulf is planning for Willis Way, is slated to have 170 rooms as well as a 130-seat restaurant.

It will be a full-service hotel, which means it will have concierge services, 24-hour room service and a bar.

This type of establishment will bring in the type of clientele that uptown businesses want, said Jeff Ball, a spokesperson for Westin.

The average Westin guest is younger, more educated and more affluent than the competition -- meaning they're more likely to eat, shop and spend money at nearby businesses, he added.

First Gulf has agreements with Westin and its operators, so the project is ready to begin.

The main roadblock to the hotel's construction is parking, said Craig Beattie, First Gulf's director of development.

The development company wants the city to co-finance a parking structure for the hotel, but talks have been slow, he said.

Part of the city's reluctance might be because of the financing problems surrounding RIM Park, but that situation shouldn't colour council's decision, Stolper said.

"Those mistakes are in the past. Let's not make another mistake by not making the right decision on this hotel because we don't want to piss people off," she said.

Besides, the opportunity for a full-service hotel won't last forever so the city should move quickly, Beattie said.

"A full-service hotel is an amenity for the city and specifically the business community, which has helped make the city what it is," he said.

"This is an amenity to them like a rec centre would be to a family in the suburbs."

While it's easy to convince the business community on the necessity of paying for a private company's development, it will be harder to sway the taxpayers who will have to bear the costs, said Teresa Huegle, owner of Angie's Kitchen.

"When you live in the city and keep getting another addition to your tax bill, you think 'what's in it for me?'" she said.

But without the support of taxpayers and council the hotel will be a no-go, Beattie said.

"Having sufficient parking for ... a hotel is critical to us in terms of our investment," he said.

Beattie would not disclose the amount of investment First Gulf is looking for from the city, but did say that the developer will contribute to the project.

Debra Joseph, who owns Fab and Twice as Nice, thinks that the city should pony up and help the uptown grow.

"I'm hoping we can step out of our little town shoes and have some vision," she said.

Joseph called on her fellow business owners to take up the cause.

"Let's put our petty differences aside and urge council to have that vision," she said.

Beattie also encouraged business owners to lobby councillors to support the hotel parking structure.

"I think the retail voice is an important voice for the city (because it) will help give context, help move this forward," he said.

"Our experience with the city, with any city, is that it always needs encouragement."

[UrbanWaterloo]

BarrelYards hotel project doesn't rule out Westin plan
September 15, 2008
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO

Time will tell whether a Westin hotel will come to the core area, says the city's chief administrative officer.

The city's wish for a high-end hotel has been met with the BarrelYards project announcing a luxury hotel on their property at Erb Street and Father David Bauer Drive, said Simon Farbrother. "It appears the gap is being met but it doesn't preclude others from doing similar ventures,'' he said.

Earlier this week, council unanimously approved a $250-million uptown development with two condo towers, apartments and a luxury hotel.

The project includes 1,000 residential units on the former Canbar lands. A $20-million hotel has yet to be named.

Farbrother said knowing that a hotel will be built in the core area could impact First Gulf's decision to go ahead with their plans for a boutique hotel on Willis Way between King and Caroline streets.

Repeated phone calls to David Gibson, chair of First Gulf Development Corp. were not returned. First Gulf has asked the city to pay for most of a $4-million parking garage, but the city has shown little interest.

The city's cost would amount to about $3.6 million. The parking garage would also be built on city-owned land.

"We are happy to continue with work with First Gulf and improve the core area in an appropriate fashion. To date, it hasn't been about putting major dollars into funding parking,'' Farbrother said.

City staff and representatives from First Gulf have been meeting regularly to iron out details on the hotel for Willis Way.

Cameron Rapp, general manager of development services for the City of Waterloo, said the deal between the city and First Gulf has to be beneficial to both parties.

"It's unacceptable to us to ask us to pay 90 per cent of a parking structure,'' he said. "It has to work out for us.''


Core hotel still possible
April 27, 2009
Liz Monteiro, RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/527373

A luxury hotel such as the Westin won't be built in Uptown Waterloo but the idea of a hotel in the core area isn't dead yet.

David Gibson, chair of the First Gulf Development Corp., said he's still "getting over the shock" after the city refused to accept a taxpayer-financed parking garage for a boutique hotel on Willis Way between King and Caroline streets last fall.

"We are not giving up or running away,'' Gibson said in an interview Friday.

First Gulf planned to build a Westin hotel with conference facilities for 600 people near The Shops at Waterloo Town Square. A parking garage, on city-owned land, would have cost $4 million.

The city's cost would have amounted to $3.6 million but it refused to foot most of the bill for the parking garage.

Plans for the Westin were then put on hold, Gibson said.

"We didn't think it was much of a stretch for the city to find that type of money in their budget given what would happen to the Uptown,'' Gibson said.

"We were so disappointed because we missed a great window,'' he said.

Gibson said the $34-million hotel project was an "expensive proposition" and without the city's help "we just couldn't make it work,'' he said.

Gibson said a hotel -- without convention facilities -- is still viable on the site, but would be tough to finance in the current economy.