Knight’s Inn’s days are numbered

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“So credit where credit’s due,” Sampson said. “The Province has partnered with us on Heart and Hearth and has made great efforts. And we have made big strides towards solving some of the housing challenges, especially for those folks who need that low-barrier access to housing.”

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Despite those successes, Sampson acknowledges there has been frustration surrounding the use of hotel properties in the downtown area for social housing purposes. He says such moves have had a noticeable impact on the vibrancy of the city’s core.

“Where I see some frustration with that perhaps is around some of these key hotel properties in our downtown that the province chose to buy up,” he said. “They have a major impact on the vibrancy of our community in our downtown.”

The City’s decision to purchase the Knight’s Inn rather than allow it to remain under provincial control was a strategic move, according to Sampson. By acquiring the property, the City was able to both support short-term housing needs and retain long-term control over the site’s future.

“The City was actually able to scoop the province on this deal,” Sampson said. “We were able to purchase it and then lease it back to the province for a short-term period for them to figure their stuff out on other properties.”

With the lease now expired, attention is shifting to what comes next. The demolition of the motel is seen as a key step in advancing the City’s broader civic core plan, which aims to enhance the downtown area through redevelopment and new investment.

Sampson says the site presents an opportunity to attract private investment that could help transform the area.

“As this builds out in the downtown, we’re going to be looking for what kind of private investment might be able to go into this location to make downtown an even more vibrant place,” he said.

The City has not yet announced a timeline for demolition but is actively seeking proposals to move the project forward.