Yakima city council supports plans for downtown boutique hotel
YAKIMA, Wash. -- City council voted unanimously to continue with plans to turn the Great Western building into a boutique hotel.
The city will lend $60,000 to Joe Morrier's JEM development for a consultant on the project. Yakima is trying to help get Morrier approved for a million dollar HUD loan toward the remodel.
The federal housing money needs to be assigned to a project by the end of May. Only certain projects qualify.
Joe Morrier is the same man who owns the empty Yakima Mall downtown.
Folks expressed their opinions about him now asking the city to help with this new project.
“He's the only one that has stepped up to put his name out there to create these new jobs and make something happen. Nobody else has done that. Nobody else has stepped up to get this money,” Mann said.
"I honestly believe that Mr. Morrier was instrumental in destroying the mall. He made it very difficult for the tenants of the mall,” Turner said.
Council members also had some concerns about the project before voting. If Morrier is approved on the loan but defaults, the city would be responsible for the payments.
Council said they believe the hotel will bring jobs and high-end tourists to the city.
The city will lend $60,000 to Joe Morrier's JEM development for a consultant on the project. Yakima is trying to help get Morrier approved for a million dollar HUD loan toward the remodel.
The federal housing money needs to be assigned to a project by the end of May. Only certain projects qualify.
Joe Morrier is the same man who owns the empty Yakima Mall downtown.
Folks expressed their opinions about him now asking the city to help with this new project.
“He's the only one that has stepped up to put his name out there to create these new jobs and make something happen. Nobody else has done that. Nobody else has stepped up to get this money,” Mann said.
"I honestly believe that Mr. Morrier was instrumental in destroying the mall. He made it very difficult for the tenants of the mall,” Turner said.
Council members also had some concerns about the project before voting. If Morrier is approved on the loan but defaults, the city would be responsible for the payments.
Council said they believe the hotel will bring jobs and high-end tourists to the city.
what hellums said is true we dont need more hotels down town. we need shops to bring in poeple to yakima. year round shops things that poeple want to come down town to do. the hotels and town house's down town are not in that much use so why get another one
Federal housing money should be spent on federal housing. Not spent on High end Hotels. If this money cant be used for housing then it should be sent back to the government. After all this country is broke. And as for new jobs, they will be low income jobs at best. And parking? Just where are you going to park all these hi-end cars that will accompany these guests?
And Yakima City Council you want to bring jobs to this town? Then bring good paying jobs year round jobs. Do you guys even live here? What is the draw for our down town NOTHING.. ZIP. This is not a case of if you build it they will come. First they have to have a reason to come here and that is? Hello.. maybe we can do a tour of our areas graffetti? Our gangland areas? The only thing this council has ever pushed was the sports that are not year round. and the jobs that it brings is mostly minimum wage. We have good people that live here and we need good jobs here so our kids dont want to leave and go to Seattle. Sooner then later we will move to the west side so we can be with our kids. I know plenty of people thinking just that.