Owners of the once derelict Slumber Lodge in Williams Lake continue to explore ways to breathe new life into it.
Philip Danyluk purchased it about one and a half years ago and began renovating the motel rooms.
Now he has applied to the City for a zoning bylaw amendment so he can rent out the former restaurant area.
“We’ve been trying to rent it out as a restaurant and have not had any interest, but have been approached to rent it out as office space and possibly retail,” Danyluk told the Tribune.
City council gave first reading to his zoning amendment application at the Tuesday, June 11 regular meeting.
Notices will now go to surrounding property owners and the application will return to a public hearing on July 16.
When asked about the vacant space on the south side of the property, Danyluk said he is considering building townhouses there.
More immediately, however, he will be opening up a U-Haul service.
When he heard U-Haul was closing in Williams Lake, he pursued taking it over.
“I have already signed a contract. We thought it would be ideal to have U-Haul at this location and we have also had lots of people coming by inquiring about rental of storage space.”
Historically the Slumber Lodge suffered break-ins, fires and eventually demolition orders by the City.
Read more: Slumber Lodge demolition out for tender
Today there are 21 rooms for rent in the remaining portions of the motel, which Danyluk said are rented nightly, weekly and in the case of renting out to work crews, monthly.
“It is still a work in progress, one step at a time for sure,” he added.
During Tuesday’s meeting council members did not discuss Danyluk’s zoning amendment application in detail, however, Mayor Walt Cobb said he was “happy to see something finally moving on it.”
Originally from the Lower Mainland, Danyluk is in the process of moving his family to live in Williams Lake full-time.
“My daughter is just finishing up high school so I’ve been coming back and forth,” he said. “I really like Williams Lake.”
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