Zoning amendment to allow hotel at SOEC complex explained at open house

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton is explaining why it should allow a hotel to be built on the property which contains the South Okanagan Events Centre, the Trade and Convention Centre and the Community Centre at an open house today.

Penticton economic development officer Colleen Pennington sees the addition of a premier hotel to the property at 325 Power St. as essential in attracting more conventions to the city. Feedback gathered by the city from convention goers indicated a lack of accommodation near the convention centre was a drawback to attracting more convention business.

The Penticton Trade and Convention Centre hosted 91 events last year, generating $12.5 million in economic activity over two years. It competes with 174 similarly sized convention centres in North America, she says.

Pennington estimates up to $21-million in convention business was lost to the city between 2012 and 2014 because there wasn't a hotel close to the Convention Centre.

The open house takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m in Room 3 of the Penticton Community Centre today, April 30.

Council passed the first reading of the zoning amendment to add "tourist accomodation" to the allowed uses at the Power Street property, but before the rest of the readings, public input is being sought at the open house and at a public hearing scheduled on Monday, May 11 at 6 p.m. at the Cleland Community Theatre.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.