New St. Stephen hotel planned on site of failed previous project

The Municipal District of St. Stephen says that a New Brunswick company plans to build a hotel at 19 Budd Avenue. A release posted online says the municipality has entered a "strategic partnership" with Amsterdam Inn and Suites to build the project "that will serve as a cornerstone in the community's ongoing growth and economic revitalization," adding, "This investment, in partnership with Future St. Stephen, will create new jobs, enhance tourism opportunities and strengthen the local economy."

Amsterdam Inn and Suites, based in Sussex, plans to build on the site where Spur Line Properties announced plans in 2013 to build a hotel on the St. Croix riverfront to take advantage of opportunities presented by the nearby Garcelon Civic Center then under construction. The Spur Line project ended in bankruptcy, but a study concluded that a hotel would be viable in the bordertown, and Future St. Stephen worked with other potential developers.

There were meetings behind closed doors and, at a special meeting on December 3, council approved "the development agreement for the property located at 19 Budd Avenue in the form previously presented" and authorized the mayor and clerk to execute documents for the agreement, subject to the developer being able to confirm acquisition of the property.

"This project represents another important step in building a vibrant and prosperous St. Stephen," Mayor Allan MacEachern says in the release, adding, "A new hotel not only supports our tourism and hospitality sectors but also provides the necessary infrastructure to attract more events, conferences and visitors to our community."

"We couldn't be more excited to bring a new state‑of‑the‑art hotel to St. Stephen," John deWinter of Amsterdam Inn and Suites says in the release, adding, "This community has an incredible spirit, and we're thrilled to invest in its future by creating a welcoming space for travelers, families and locals alike. We look forward to becoming part of the fabric of St. Stephen and delivering the warm, reliable hospitality our guests have come to expect."

According to information on the company's website, John deWinter Sr. and family moved to Canada from the Netherlands to Ontario in 1952 and to Sussex, N.B., 12 years later. The family built modular homes for 30 years, then established the first Amsterdam Inn and Suites in Sussex in 1994. Others followed in Moncton, Fredericton and Florenceville‑Bristol.

According to information published elsewhere, the St. Stephen hotel will have 80 rooms, and the municipality has offered a total of $500,000 in support, including a $300,000 land acquisition incentive, fully repayable if the project is not completed by October 1, 2027, or if the property is sold prior to completion. Another $200,000 will be paid over five years subject to the developer's ongoing compliance with the development agreement.

This is the second major private sector project announced in St. Stephen this fall, including The Dock Apartments, a 66‑unit residential building that Tressa Bevington, born in Charlotte County, intends to erect on site of the former Border Area Community Arena. According to published information, the municipality will contribute $400,000 plus defined in‑kind work towards this project. The municipality will release $300,000 after completion of demolition of the old arena, provide up to $100,000 toward repaving the parking lot area not earlier than 2027, and complete water and sewer connections to municipal mains. If the deadlines are not met, the Municipal District of St. Stephen can end the agreement and repurchase the property for nominal consideration. The old arena, built in the 1970, closed after the Garcelon Civic Center opened in 2014. The municipality used the arena for storage in recent years.

The Dock Apartments will be Bevington's fourth project in Charlotte County since 2017, starting with the 36‑unit Anchors Landing for seniors in St. Andrews, the 50‑unit Beacon Waterfront Apartments in St. Stephen and the 42‑unit Compass Housing in St. Andrews.

Other big recent announcements in St. Stephen include a $3.6‑million collaborative care clinic funded by the provincial government through the Horizon Health Network. The government has pledged to establish 10 clinics across New Brunswick this year to improve access to primary health care.

At the start of the December 17 meeting, the mayor, councillors and staff raised a ginger ale toast to celebrate recent successes, including the hotel, apartment building and clinic. "We're all in this. Now it's time to see this built to fruition, and then we've got to support this thing, and that's going to support us as well," MacEachern said, referring to the hotel, adding, "I'm looking forward to what this is going to generate in our community, the energy it's going to create. It's going to bring us to a whole other level. It really is."