How long does it take for a building to be reborn? Ask Vancouver developer Bruce Langereis, who is renovating one of the beloved heritage hotels of the Pacific Northwest city.
Mr Langereis will tell you that the rebirth of the 80-year-old Hotel Georgia, which started this summer, will be finished in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Singapore-based Delta Group, with Mr Langereis as its president and chief executive, is spending C$400 million (HK$3.13 billion) on the restoration and the addition of a 48-storey condominium tower with 155 luxury units.
Floor plans range in size from 635 square feet to the 6,872 sqft penthouse. At 150 metres, the tower will make its mark on the city skyline as the third tallest building in Vancouver. It is already being considered one of the city's most lavish addresses.
The Hotel Georgia, one of the symbols of Vancouver's rise to prominence, will be transformed into a modern boutique luxury hotel with restored facade, ballroom and wood-panelled lobby. The guest rooms will double in size, reducing their number by about half to 170.
The hotel amenities, among them the 55-foot ozonated lap pool, a fitness centre with a yoga studio, a spa, a courtyard, a screening room and a wine cellar, will be available to owners of the private residences.
Delta started to pitch the hotel to international investors in June, when it flew in the top tier of Sotheby's International Realty advisers for an exclusive preview.
