EDITORIAL: New hotel, great sign

At least this hotel has already got a name.

Late last week developer Steve Gupta confirmed he intends to build a Mariott Town Place Suites hotel on lands ajacent to the Superstore parking lot.

A separate developer, Gupta said, intends to construct a pair of restaurants and a small retail space next door.

The restaurants will either be an Earl’s or a Milestone, and a Harvey’s, marking the Canadian fast-food chain’s return to Thunder Bay after more than a decade away.

The 142-unit hotel, designed for long-term occupants, is a clear sign there is faith in the city and regional economy.
The hotel, similar to one built in Sudbury, is squarely aimed at the mining community.

Developers don’t usually build on a whim, so something has convinced him he can make a go of it in Thunder Bay, and he’s laying an estimated $18 million on the line as proof.

The new restaurants are another indicator someone thinks the city is doing well. In tough times, discretionary spending on restaurant meals is often one of the first things cut from the family budget.

For someone to build not one, but two new restaurants says they think the worst might be over and the economy is starting to rebound. Either way, it’s a good sign, and it’s more jobs for a city in need of them.