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Ladysmith Traveller’s Hotel sale pending as investor awaits bylaw meeting

A Nanaimo investor who has plans to turn the Traveller’s Hotel into a dispensary and vape lounge is now waiting to hear from the town.
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The new owner of the Traveller's Hotel Richard Scott is planing to fix up the heritage building on 1st Avenue and in the process open Ladysmith's first dispensary and vape lounge.

A Nanaimo investor who has plans to turn the Traveller’s Hotel into a dispensary and vape lounge is now waiting to hear from the town, and public, before signing on the dotted line.

Richard Scott told the Chronicle over instant messaging that “city licensing will effect the close.”

“The terms of purchase are directly connected to city acceptance,” he said.

Scott could not be reached by phone for follow up questions.

In a previous interview Scott told the Chronicle he wanted to restore the Traveller’s Hotel and in the process create employment by opening the Ladysmith Cannabis Club.

Ladysmith is considering amending its zoning bylaw to explicitly ban the sale of marijuana across town but was forced to reschedule a public meeting on the matter earlier this month due to adverse weather conditions.

“It’s just a matter of figuring out how to get council to recognize that we’re not coming in as an evil entity to destroy the way of life,” Scott had said previously.

Several weeks ago, the doors to the historic building on First Avenue were swung open as local residents snuck a look inside while employees of Scott’s swept up debris and cleaned the front windows.

“A lot of the cannabis community are into embracing heritage and don’t want to destroy things,” Scott said.

Realtor Wes Smith also confirmed there was a conditional offer pending the “city’s acceptance” and it was above what had been previously published $525,000.

“They’re not going to buy the building unless they know they can do what they want to do,” he said, adding that opening of the building a few weeks ago was a “special condition just because of the nature of what they’re doing.”

 





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