Demolition of the former Howard Johnson hotel site ramped up this week as crews began tearing down walls.  (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

when the walls fell

Demolition underway for former Howard Johnson hotel property in Nanaimo

Mar 28, 2025 | 2:30 PM

NANAIMO — The landscape of the gateway to downtown Nanaimo is finally changing, after years of sitting dormant.

Demolition crews ramped up their work at the former Howard Johnson hotel site at the corner of Terminal Ave. and Comox Rd. this week, after starting their site preparation and other work late last year.

Excavators were seen beginning Wednesday, March 26 ripping away siding and beginning to tear down walls of the hotel site, which closed in 2018.

Crews are expected to leave the site largely bare ahead of what’s being described as a mixed-use development owned and operated by Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Excavators are making quick work of the building, after hazardous materials were removed over recent months. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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No timeline for the demolition is being offered, nor have any plans for the future of the site been announced.

As of Friday morning, the walking path along the Millstone River, which runs adjacent to the hotel property, remained open and accessible to the public, however metal fencing surrounded the high-profile property.

Developers had previously planned a major revamp of the 6.6 acre site, to include a hotel, high-rise residential and commercial buildings.

However a July 2024 announcement from the province transferred ownership of the property to the First Nation, via a $28.5 million purchase, a vast majority of which was financed by the government.

Snuneymuxw First Nation leaders had expressed concerns about the previous designs, as the property is a former village site.

Primary concerns included environmental issues and, in the words of SFN, failure to satisfactorily address the archaeological significance of the property which was considered inadequate consultation, according to SFN.

Since closing in 2018, the hotel fell into a deeper state of disrepair and became a focal point for social disorder including vandalism, squatting, fires and more.

The RCMP had also used the vacant site for explosives training.

The property has sat largely empty since 2018, aside from squatters, trespassers and the occasional RCMP explosives training. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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