The owners of the Royal Hotel have been granted a Heritage Alteration Permit for exterior renovations of the iconic Fernie building.
At the most recent City of Fernie council meeting, councillors unanimously approved the request for the permit, which will allow the owners to add a rooftop addition, construct an elevator/stairwell addition, and make exterior form and character changes to the existing building.
The permit is for exterior changes to the building. Interior works will be governed by other permits.
According to City of Fernie manager of planning, Derek Cimolini, staff had concluded that the changes had no negative impact, and that a heritage consultant review had found that the works proposed did not remove any heritage value.
According to city documents, the heritage professional that assessed the proposed additions concluded that “the changes to the exterior of the building, including the three additions, are not removing the heritage value of the character-defining elements … and the heritage character of the building as a whole. The proposed Development Permit (Heritage Alteration Permit) adaptive re-use design meets the conservation intervention requirements of the Royal Hotel as a designated Municipal Heritage Site.”
The Royal Hotel continues to undergo renovation works, with the interior of the building being cleared to make way for the changes desired by the owners, who are turning it into a ‘Boutique Hotel.’
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