Paso will soon own the River Lodge Motel — and officials want your ideas for how to use it
Paso Robles will soon take ownership of a 60-year-old motel off Highway 101, and officials want residents' help deciding its fate.
The city acquired the River Lodge Motel — located on Theatre Drive near the Highway 101-Highway 46 interchange — as part of a land swap with a Bay Area developer.
City Council members voted to approve the property trade on June 5, but the city won't take possession of the site until 45 days later, according to City Manager Tom Frutchey.
The area's proximity to the freeway interchange have made it a hotel hotspot, with the La Bellasera Hotel and a Hampton Inn located directly behind the River Lodge.
Zenique Hotels, a Burlingame-based company, purchased the 2-acre motel property in 2015. Developers planned to replace the 22-room River Lodge, which was built during the 1950s, with a Hyatt Place hotel.
But a draft environmental review showed the motel's distinct vintage architecture and location near the freeway meant it could become a Paso Robles historic landmark, which would make tearing it down more of a challenge.
The city's solution to this problem was to trade properties with Zenique — the city would get the River Lodge and the developer would get a nearby city-owned 3.2-acre site.
The City Council approved the idea in September, pending an official appraisal of both properties. The River Lodge property was valued at $2.805 million, and the city property was valued at $2.870 million, according to a city staff report.
Frutchey said city officials intend to hold town hall-style meetings in mid- to late July to gather public input on potential uses for the motel.
Possibilities could include officially evaluating the motel as a historic site or turning it into a new business that retains some of the structure's historic qualities.
"I don't think the council will have any dearth of options," Frutchey said.
Whatever residents propose, city officials only intend to remain owners of the motel for a short period of time, he said. While the city owns the River Lodge, officials will likely hire a contractor or Zenique to manage the business, Frutchey said.
Before the city takes over the motel, all long-term tenants also must move out.
"We, the city, will not be in the hotel business," Frutchey said.
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Paso will soon own the River Lodge Motel — and officials want your ideas for how to use it."