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Visitors to Essex County’s many attractions, cycling network and thriving breweries and wineries will soon be able to book a room at a trendy new boutique motel in the quaint village of Colchester.
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Partners Jennifer and James Flynn and Kim and Jeff Lewis will kick off construction on their latest project – the retro-inspired 28-room Grove Motel – within the next month or two.
“We’re super excited,” said Jennifer Flynn, who is also general manager of the group’s Grove Hotel – a unique boutique hotel in Kingsville.
Describing the planned development as having a “retro-style vintage motel feel,” Flynn said the $5 million project will be state-of-the-art in terms of finishes.
“It will look like an old motel – retro,” she said. “I probably compare it to the 70s and 80s range.
“Each room will be different with its own theme.”
The partners purchased municipal property at 96 County Rd. W. that had been deemed surplus by the City of Essex. The deal was closed on Monday.
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Site selection, rezoning, site plan control and environmental remediation work has already been completed.
Essex Mayor Richard Meloche said the town was “delighted” to welcome the Grove Motel to Colchester.
“The long-awaited development will provide a unique experience for local residents and tourists,” Meloche said. “This unique development will add tremendous value to our community and positively contribute to the local economy.”
Flynn said she was the lead designer for the group, but the team collaborated on design decisions.
“Usually I bring my crazy ideas and they say yes or no,” she laughed. “We are working on it collectively. It’s a fun process, that’s for sure.
The motel will also have a retro-inspired lobby with some type of food service, either a cafe or a bar.
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“People could come in, have a bite to eat. There will (also) be a small retail store,” Flynn said. “Obviously we like to have people around us, so it will be open to the public. This is our intention at this stage.
Property is a blank canvas—out in the open. The partners originally proposed a $2 million plan for 14 individual chalets centered around the site of the former Colchester School at 195 Bagot Street.
When that failed, they started looking for another property.
“I think Colchester, we always thought it was a great opportunity,” Flynn said.
“Our whole philosophy was that theoretically being at the other end of the wine route is a great place to service wineries, where they desperately need accommodation.
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“We think our area in general has so much potential to be the next Niagara-on-the-Lake or Prince Edward County, depending on how you see it,” she added.
“But we need to have that accommodation element if we encourage people to come to the area. We have to find them accommodation. »
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The partners plan to open the motel in late 2022. The development will not only provide construction jobs, but also long-term hospitality and retail work for the Colchester community.
“He’s got so much potential. It’s really cute and we just hope to add to that,” Flynn said.
