Nordic spa and hotel construction on city’s edge moving ahead

It’s been more than four years in the making, but a controversial project on the edge of Saskatoon is one step closer to construction.

On Wednesday, City council unanimously approved zoning changes in the Willows neighbourhood for a Nordic spa and hotel.

The facility is set to be built just outside of the Willows residential community, just south of Cartwright Street.

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In the original proposal, the project outlined a 120-room hotel alongside an adult-only spa that featured thermal pools, saunas, steam rooms, and massage rooms. Activities, including fitness classes, were also expected to be available year-round, in addition to a restaurant and three-season patio.

It was set to be run by Scandvik Hotels, with Dream Developments facilitating the project.

These plans were first unveiled in January 2021, but were met with backlash from those in the community. One resident said it would ruin the area’s tranquility, adding how visitors could use hotels in Stonebridge around the corner if they needed a place to stay.

There was also concern that those in the Willows, who paid top dollar for their homes, would experience decreased property values thanks to obstructed views.

By November 2021, the opposition was strong enough that it became the main factor behind city council’s unanimous defeat of the project.

Two years later in 2023, Dream Developments tried to resurrect the hotel idea by putting a new plan forward. It involved moving the hotel and spa away from residential areas to a new location in the western portion of the Willows.

The quiet golf community residents were still concerned about increased traffic and noise associated with the new build raised as potential issues.

But unlike in 2021, this time, city council approved the proposed plan.

That approval also included changes to the existing layout of the Willows community golf course, transitioning from 27 to 18 holes.

Construction still didn’t move forward though, with Dream Developments applying to make minor boundary changes to the approved concept plan, including slightly moving some boundaries for the hotel site based on design requirements.

In July, residents were notified of the proposed changes and a public hearing was held. Based on the report provided to council, about 73 people attended that meeting and they again raised concerns about noise from the neighbourhood.

But, city administration reported it didn’t identify any concerns while reviewing these proposed amendments and consequently recommended council approve the plan.

There’s no word yet on when construction is expected to start.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct errors on the location of the planned spa and the approval process.