What was once a modest motel has grown into something much bigger.
A three-storey addition to the Gateway Centre at 1811 Victoria St. is getting close to welcoming new tenants.
And instead of taking in travelers, it will be a home to more doctors, dentists, lawyer, accountants or anyone else who needs office space.
"This was a motel built by my grandpa in the late '60s," said Chris Leboe during a tour Monday. "My dad bought it from him and renovated it into office space. It used to be the old Belair Motel."
The old motel remains in the form of a two-level wing extending out to the west but the main feature now is the 13,000 square feet of new space that comes with the addition, of which about 10,000 is available for lease.
"My dad's had property in the Gateway for 40 years, I guess," Leboe said of his father, Ken. "We kind of believe in this area and thought it would be a good way to improve the area. Both the Gateway and business owners have been doing a lot to beef up their properties and spruce things up as they go and so we thought we'd do our part too."
The red, grey, white and blue paneling make for a colourful exterior while an array of white piping along the northern and western edges of the roof add a touch of whimsey. It adds nothing practical to the building, according Leboe.
"It's just all for looks," he said.
The original plan was to clad the building entirely in white but Leboe said the cost of securing enough of the material would have added $250,000 to the bill so they went back to the drawing board.
With the help of Vancouver-based architect Donald Yen, they came up with something that not only made budget but also looks better as far as Leboe is concerned.
Leboe did not provide a final figure but a building permit for $2.24 million worth of work on the project was taken out in October 2014. Escalating construction costs made the project a challenge.
"It was more than we hoped in the beginning," Leboe said. "Construction in Prince George is expensive but ultimately worth it. If it was truly a business-only and return-on-investment only, we probably wouldn't have done it.
"But I think my dad has done business like that for a long time in Prince George and it's a longer outlook than just a six or seven-year return."
About a dozen tenants are currently located in the building and some are moving over to the new section. A pharmacy will occupy the street-level floor and Leboe expects a mixture of other types of businesses in the rest of the building.
"It's kind of that medical, financial planner, insurance - we have a few of those in the building too - so it all kind of fits well," Leboe said.
