The Buzz: Home2 Suites by Hilton will join north Redding’s growing hotel corridor – Redding Record Searchlight

More than two years after getting city approval, work on Home2 Suites by Hilton in north Redding is expected to start soon.

BMV Hotels Group wants to build two four-story hotels on Caterpillar Road, a project that raised questions when it came before the Planning Commission in late 2016 and early 2017.

The commission ultimately approved a change in a use permit that allowed construction of two hotels side by side.

Work on the Home2 Suites is expected to take about a year and the hotel could open in July 2020, said Nick Patel, who is developing the property north of the Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Patel does not know the name of the second hotel, nor when construction would start.

The city’s building department issued Patel a permit for Home2 Suites in May. The value of the project, which doesn’t include the land, is about $6 million.

Patel said Home2 Suites will be a new brand in Redding. Some of the rooms will feature small kitchens. The hotel will have 93 rooms and an outdoor pool.

Patel also operates the Best Western on Twin View Boulevard, which is just few blocks south of where Home2 Suites will sit.

That stretch of Caterpillar Road has turned into a hotel row, with the Best Western, Comfort Suites and Fairfield Inn all within walking distance. On the other side of Interstate 5 on Twin View Boulevard sit Ramada Limited and Motel 6.

The Home2 Suites project took an interesting turn when in December 2017 the city’s Planning Department got a letter from Mark Rust, who identified himself as a certified professional planner from Oregon, questioning the need for more hotel rooms.

It was later learned that Rust was representing the neighboring Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Home2 Suites will join a growing hotel sector in Redding, one that has welcomed a new Sheraton and Holiday Inn Express over the past year.

Late last year, the city approved an 87-room Avid hotel on Del Monte Street across from the Grocery Outlet off Churn Creek Road.

Shasta County’s Capitol display finally getting update?

Shasta County’s Capitol display in Sacramento needs to be updated, but maybe not the video displays and high-tech gizmos that other counties have incorporated into theirs.

That’s the epiphany Randi Slaughter had after spending time in Sacramento this year observing visitors touring the county displays inside the state Capitol.

Slaughter, who’s spearheading the latest effort to update Shasta’s outdated display, visited the Capitol five separate times between January and May of this year.

“I interviewed dozens of visitors from all over the world and timed their visits between each display. I figured out which ones they stopped at the most and observed,” Slaughter told the Shasta County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “You would be surprised with what I heard, particularly about Shasta County.”

Slaughter was told Shasta had one of the top displays and please don’t change a thing about it.

Among the comments Slaughter heard:

“I love all the details that you can see, you can even see a little fish.”

“Shasta’s is really cool.”

“The Dixieland Jazz Festival is exciting.”

That drew laughs from supervisors and audience members at Tuesday’s meeting. That’s because the event hasn’t existed for some 20 years.

Slaughter’s conclusion?

People really like the diorama display that showcases Shasta County. It just needs to be updated.

Expect landmarks like the Sundial Bridge and Cascade Theatre to be included in the new display, complementing features like Shasta Dam and Lake Shasta featured in the current display.

Supervisors gave Slaughter the go-ahead for the update, which she said will not cost taxpayers a dime.

Slaughter told supervisors she hopes to secure private funding by Sept. 1 and expects it will take eight weeks to build the new display.

The dedication and unveiling are expected next spring.

Slaughter, who manages annual giving at Mercy Foundation North, took on the project after community leaders launched an update effort in 2017 that went nowhere.

She is married to Redding native Rocky Slaughter, who is studying to be a lawyer and has a marketing background. Rocky Slaughter is helping out with the update.

For the record, the current display debuted in 1993 and it was designed by Redding special-effects artist Keith Lack, according to Record Searchlight archives.

Stay tuned.

Christian-themed clothes store closes

The owners of the Christian-themed clothes store NHiM moved to Redding last year and opened a second location.

But months after opening last fall in Discovery Village between Manhattan Bagel and Jamba Juice, the store is closed.

“Sadly we had to close our doors in Redding. Please continue to shop with us online or in our Colorado store www.nhimapparel.com,” a sign reads on the front door.

Matt and Diane Allen founded NHiM in 2014 and believed Bethel Church’s presence and other Christian congregations made Redding an ideal spot to grow their business. They also have a store in the Denver area.

I reached out to Matt Allen via email and had not got a response as of Friday afternoon.

READ MORE FROM THE BUZZ:

• Redding’s local coffee scene gets more caffeinated with Evergreen, Caffe Pagato expansion
• KFC eyes summer opening in Redding; has foundation been laid for Chick-fil-A?
• Attention In-N-Out fans, work has started on Redding’s second location

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-225-8219. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

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