Developer blames construction delays, not U.S. election controversy
Dan Fumano
The Vancouver Sun
The opening of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Vancouver has been delayed until at least January.
The hotel’s opening, originally scheduled for summer and then fall of 2016, has been postponed again because of construction delays, said Philipp Posch, general manager of the Trump International Hotel Vancouver.
“It’s just a question of time and labour and getting enough workers in here to get this done,” Posch said. “The product is just not finished. We think we’ll be done some time in late November with construction, and then we still have to do our four weeks of training.”
The project, which includes a hotel and 214 luxury condominiums, has attracted controversy since last year because of U.S. businessman-turned-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Since launching his campaign last year, Trump, the Republican nominee for president, has been involved in a series of scandals and controversies involving everything from his political positions, his past business dealings, to his personal conduct.
Asked if the hotel’s rescheduled opening date had anything to do with the upcoming U.S. election on Nov. 8, Posch said: “No, absolutely not.”
The hotel will include a poolside lounge, a champagne room, a spa and a restaurant, all of which are expected to open at the same time early next year. Residents are expected to start moving into the condos within the next month, Posch said.
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, described on its website as “Vancouver’s most anticipated hotel and residences,” is being developed by Vancouver-based firm Holborn Group.
More than half of Canadians said they would like to see Trump’s name removed from the project, according to an Angus Reid poll from late last year. Many prominent Vancouverites have called for the removal of the name, including Mayor Gregor Robertson, who said last December that the Trump name was at odds with Vancouver’s “steadfast commitment to diversity, equality, and freedom from discrimination and hatred.”
At that time, the company released a statement saying: “Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in U.S. politics. As such, we would not comment further on Mr. Trump’s personal or political agenda, nor any political issues, local or foreign. Our efforts remain focused on the construction of what will soon be the finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond.”
Since that time, Holborn’s representatives have not indicated any intention of dropping the Trump name.
Holborn owns the hotel and pays the Trump Organization a management fee, said Posch.
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