New owners have taken over the small motel formerly known as Uptown Lodge and are busy working to get it renovated and reopened as part of Cowichan Lake Cottages.
Matt Blake said the 73 South Shore Rd. motel that sits along the river right next to Ed’s Coffee Shop and two doors down from the bridge to Duck Pond Park should be up and running again soon.
“We just saw an amazing underappreciated property waiting to be restored,” said Blake, a real estate investor originally from Prince George who spent five years at the University of Victoria.
“My family finally decided it was time for a change; we threw a dart at the map, applied to a few places for rent, and ended up in Lake Cowichan, and immediately fell in love with the Cowichan Valley.”
After spending roughly a year at the Lake, Blake said he came across the Uptown Lodge “by way of a few blurry photos, and a vague description posted online.”
He approached his partner Cory Reddekkop in Edmonton, who has experience in larger commercial constructions, about the opportunity.
“I was hesitant at first,” Reddekkop said about when he first saw the obscured out-of-focus pictures and the brief ad for the property. “But once I had an opportunity to visit and spend a bit of time there, I realized what a special opportunity this could be.”
While it’s a bit late in the year for a mad dash to the front doors of the Lake’s latest accommodations, Blake said he’s hoping to have four of the seven waterfront units available in September for a soft opening.
All told, there’ll be seven suites with kitchenettes in the main building, and two “bunkies” for short stays, or to be used as extra accommodations for visitors with larger groups.
“It’s unfortunate we will miss the busiest months here this year, but we do realize there’s a huge opportunity for eco-tourism in the area, which doesn’t simply start and end with summer,” Blake said. “We are very optimistic about the growing tourism in the town, and the opportunities that it could provide to local businesses, and individuals who reside in Lake Cowichan.”
And, true to its small town charm, every local who passes by the project has a tale to tell.
“The response has been fantastic,” said Reddekkop. “Everyone seems to have a story about the building, and whether it be good or bad, everyone has been very positive about the change.”
Visit cowichanlakecottages.com to learn more.