After several years of starts, stops, and shifting timelines, it looks like the long-awaited hotel development in Niverville may finally be ready to move ahead. Steel Creek Developers says construction on the 74-room Blue Crescent Hotel is now expected to begin in the second half of 2025, possibly as soon as late summer or fall.
Trevor Rempel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Steel Creek Developers, says it’s been a winding road to get to this point, but the project now has a clear path forward.
“Well, at this point, what the client is telling me is that we would be targeting construction later on this year, in the latter half of the year,” said Rempel. “Hopefully, we can get the shovel in the ground and get that project going.”
A rocky road to breaking ground
The hotel, which was first announced in April 2021, was originally planned as the flagship for a new construction technology using lightweight precast concrete panels. These panels, produced off-site and fully finished inside, were supposed to revolutionize how hotels like this one could be built, similar to modular wood construction methods used in past Steel Creek projects, like the hotel in Rivers, Manitoba.
But getting the manufacturing plant off the ground took much longer than expected.
“Turns out, they thought they’d be able to get the plant up and running a lot faster than what it ended up being,” Rempel explained. “That’s what’s been the delay, because they wanted Niverville to be their flagship project; to promote this new technology.”
Not only was the manufacturing company providing the panels, they were also a major shareholder in the hotel itself, which meant the construction couldn’t go ahead without them.
“So it was kind of tied together,” Rempel said. “Some of our shareholders were asking, ‘Why can’t we just build with wood construction and get it going?’ But the plant was one of the major shareholders.”
Now, that has changed. The project has brought in a new large investor to replace the manufacturing plant's stake, which allows Steel Creek to move forward, this time with traditional construction materials.
“They still plan on setting up the plant, but Niverville is likely now to be done with traditional building materials,” Rempel said. “We’re probably looking at standard precast concrete panels, so the building will still have a similar style, but with more conventional methods.”
Design and amenities to stay the same
Despite the behind-the-scenes changes, the design and amenities of the hotel are expected to remain exactly as planned.
“There are no plans on changing the design, or the amenities, or what’s being offered at the hotel. All those things should be basically as presented,” Rempel confirmed.
That includes 74 guest rooms with a variety of layouts, from single rooms and family suites to one- and two-bedroom kitchenettes and accessible units. The hotel will also offer popular features like a large indoor pool with double waterslides, a fitness centre, meeting rooms, and a rooftop patio space.
Rempel emphasized that the room designs, especially the split-room layout common to Blue Crescent Hotels, are tailored to business travellers, families, and long-stay guests.
“We’ve got rooms where people who are working construction or corporate can double up and still have some privacy. And then our family rooms, with two sets of bunk beds on one side, are really popular, especially at hotels with a pool and waterslide,” he said.
The hotel will also include a standard continental breakfast offering with pancakes, toast, muffins, yogurt, and other familiar options.
Premium Blue Crescent brand launches in Niverville
Niverville won’t just be getting a regular Blue Crescent Hotel, it will be the first location branded under Steel Creek’s new Blue Crescent Premium tier.
“For hotels that are a little bit larger, with more amenities, this is going to be the first one that’ll be badged as our premium level,” Rempel said. “We’re not 100% sure what we’ll call it yet, but we’re really excited about the brand.”
Other locations are already in the planning stages under the new premium label, including a larger hotel in B.C. and two resort-style projects.
Steel Creek ready to hit the ground running
Rempel says the design and construction teams are standing by and have been actively preparing for the go-ahead.
“We’ve been kind of sitting, revving at the starting line, waiting for the client to remove the shackles and let us loose,” he said. “The design team is excited to get going. We’ve been working through this downtime, staying in close touch with the architects and engineers, just making sure everybody’s ready.”
If everything goes as planned, construction will begin by this fall, with an estimated 8 to 12-month timeline depending on the final choice of materials.
“I’m pushing for the regular precast concrete because we can cut a few months off the build schedule,” Rempel said. “Those types of panels are pre-insulated and pre-finished on the exterior. Once they go up, the building envelope is essentially done. That speeds everything up and helps with soundproofing, too.”
Deacons Corner project soon to break ground
While the Niverville project waits for the final green light, Steel Creek Developers is already moving ahead with another hotel near Deacons Corner, a smaller 30-room location that should begin construction within the next month.
“That one won’t have a pool or waterslide because Deacons is more of a waypoint,” Rempel noted. “But the design will be quite similar to our hotel in Arborg, Manitoba.”
Looking ahead
Rempel says the company is actively exploring other locations for new builds, including Steinbach.
“Especially with the new event centre and convention centre there, Steinbach just keeps growing,” he said. “The Shinkel Hotel just had an expansion, and we think there’s still room in the market for our style of hotel.”
Rempel, who’s worked in the construction industry for over 20 years, says every project is a chance to learn and improve.
“Every build is a chance to tweak and do a little bit better. At the end of the day, we want to create the best possible experience for our guests.”
We are so close to starting the build
As for Niverville, after years of waiting, the team at Steel Creek is hopeful they’ll soon be able to bring their vision to life.
“We know it’s been frustrating, especially for local residents and the media, to keep hearing that it’s coming, and then nothing happens,” said Rempel. “I’ve gotten a lot more conservative about what I say publicly because you can only stick your neck out so many times. But now, we’ve hit a couple of key milestones that lead me to believe we’re really close.”