The Postmark Hotel is ramping up for a hiring spree as it prepares for a to-be-determined fall opening date.
The hotel is planning a career fair Aug. 14 and 15 for all non-management positions, including housekeepers, bartenders, servers and more. Construction remains ongoing for the property, with plans to open up in two phases.
Hotel general manager Avi Wulfand said things are progressing well.
“It’s exciting to see it actually coming to fruition, as well as being able to be part of a larger community and adding to Main Street Newmarket,” he said. “I know a lot of people are excited about this, and I know my team is as well. I feel very good and confident what we’re going to be doing is something outstanding and like nothing that Newmarket has seen before.”
The boutique hotel situated at the former site of the Newmarket post office has been under construction for months. initially targeting to open the first phase of the hotel this summer, Wulfand said that construction delays pushed the opening date back to the fall.
Still, the hotel has remained busy making connections in the community, participating in events like Pride Fest and Canada Day, Wulfand said.
“We’re working on creating partnerships and supporting local businesses,” he said. “We’re looking to do more getting involved in the community and events. The possibilities are endless.”
The hotel has had a setback regarding parking. Delays in the construction of a new tennis facility mean that town plans to add more parking spots to the downtown, in part to help accommodate the hotel, have been delayed to the spring.
It is something the hotel is working on, and Wulfand said they are exploring options like renting out private spaces to augment the limited parking spots on site.
“We kind of have to think outside the box,” Wulfand said. “It’s just working alongside with the town and the BIA, just to make sure it’s fair to everybody else.”
The hotel is opening up in phases, with the first phase including around 20 to 30 rooms and comprising the renovated parts of the original building. Additions like the rooftop restaurant and event space will open later on.
Although an exact opening time remains to be determined, Wulfand said it will be worth the wait.
“It’s going to be beautiful. The food, our restaurants are going to be outstanding,” he said. “We strive for excellence, and our standards are going to be really high in terms of what our guests should expect.”
Transformer construction
Meanwhile, Newmarket residents should expect a power transformer to be installed on the Postmark site in the coming weeks.
Newmarket economic development officer Chris Kallio told the BIA Aug. 2 that work on a new transformer is underway and will continue over the next two weeks. Once the transformer is in place, Newmarket-Tay Power will be doing work on upgrades.
“All the work will be contained to the Postmark lands and not infringe on parking in market square,” Kallio assured the BIA.
