After almost two years on the open market, the Prospector Inn has a new owner and a tentative reopening date.
Saskatoon-based businessman Peter Lee, who owns several hotels in Saskatchewan, has purchased the Creighton business.
“I’m interested in this kind of hotel,” said Lee. “When I was looking for [a] business, I went out and found this hotel. I thought ... that I could take over and run this kind of hotel well, so I thought I’d try to operate the business and come up here.”
Opening day is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1, with the restaurant reopening later on.
While Lee is confident the motel can open that date, repairs and cleaning still need to be done.
“We need to clean first, changing out some things, paint, vacuum and clean up everything,” he said. “Dec. 1 is what we have planned.”
The business initially opened in 1988 as RJ’s Motel and Restaurant. It was renamed the Prospector Inn when a new owner took over in 2007. A third owner later took over.
The business suddenly closed in January 2015. Swan Valley Credit Union owned the property at the time of the sale to Lee.
The credit union first listed the property with a local real estate firm, then removed their listing and marketed it specifically to businesspeople and entrepreneurs.
It had been suggested the building be converted into a personal care home or commercial space, but neither concept went anywhere.
Lee is now hiring staff ahead of the reopening.
“We don’t know who’ll fill all the jobs, but we have some people in mind,” he said, adding that two people had already been hired as of Wednesday.
Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler was excited by the news.
“It’s a great thing to see,” he said. “It’s been sitting empty for too long, and it’ll bring business back to the community. It’ll be a big boost for us.”
