Marriott Hotels could be opening a new seven-storey location in Newmarket with a planning proposal put forward to the municipality.
The site plan application would see the hotel at 1201 and 1225 Journey’s End Circle, in the town's business plaza. Spearheaded by Bawa Group, the project would be designed for extended stays, according to the developer.
Bawa Group vice-president of development Danny Bawa said they felt it was a niche to fill in Newmarket, with the town lacking a Marriott.
“We are developing this extended-stay brand of Marriott Hotels,” he said. “There’s a lack of hotels which has full kitchens and basically, it’s an apartment-style hotel.”
The application has been in the works for several years, with the last planning submission posted by the town being March 2022. The property, at the corner of Harry Walker Parkway, currently sits vacant.
“It’s just taken a very long time to get it approved,” Bawa said. “It’s just a very difficult site and a lot of hoops we had to get this planning site plan approval.”
But he said he is hopeful that approval could come within the next few months, and construction might start in the summer or fall of this year. The construction process would take approximately 18 to 24 months, he added.
The proposed hotel would have 124 guest rooms, with 95 parking spaces. A traffic study update prepared by TRANS-PLAN estimates that the hotel would add 58 and 74 car trips in the morning and evening weekday peak hours, respectively.
Besides rooms, Bawa said the hotel would also feature a breakfast buffet area, an 800-square-foot fitness room, an indoor pool and a small evening bar.
The town’s planning department said there has not been any formal activity on the proposal since last September. It said it understands the applicant is considering making changes that would require further review, but the town is not aware of any outstanding planning issues. However, the site plan has yet to receive final approval.
NewmarketToday will provide updates as the plan progresses.
