U of S and hotel owner breaks ground on campus project

Crews have been working on the site for a while, but today the developer and the University of Saskatchewan officially broke ground on a nine-story hotel.

The building, located on College Drive, just east of the Stadium Parkade, will in fact be two hotels in one. It will be a Holiday Inn Express for short term stays, and a Staybridge Suites for longer visits.

This development is a partnership between the hotel's parent company and the U of S. The hotel owner handles capital and operating costs, while the university provides a long term lease on the land.

"Ultimately, the goal is to bring benefit to our students, to the university, and to the community. We will invest the revenue generated from leasing the land for the hotel into further development," said U of S President Peter Stoicheff.

In total, the two hotels will offer 220 rooms, and are expected to open in April of 2018.

"While the university isn't in the business of running hotels, nor should we be, we do have a consistent need for hotel services, and that's where this partnership comes into play," said Stoicheff.