New Condo Complex coming North of the Casino?

From the Daily World in Aberdeen by Jordan Kline - Daily World writer

The Quinault Indian Nation is exploring the possibility of adding 75 to 100 rooms to its Quinault Beach Resort & Casino at Hogan’s Corner and building a new complex of 150 to 200 time-share condominium units on property just south of the resort.

Feasibility studies indicate the projects are solid, according to Bob Southall, CEO of the resort.“Both of these projects are in consideration,” Southall said, “and the project we’re really focusing on is the time-share condos.”

Tribal President Fawn Sharp said, “It’s really exploratory, and we don’t have anything solidified.”

“It’s no secret that we’re moving forward with these new developments, but we’re only in the preliminary phase,” said Rudy Tsukada, CEO of Quinault Enterprises. “But in the next three to six months, there should be a major announcement about several large projects.”“We’re really encouraged,” Southall said. “I wish I could say that we’re breaking ground in May or something like that, but I can’t.”

The resort hotel now features 159 rooms. Southall said that if the project goes forward, the building would be lengthened to accommodate the new rooms.The condominiums would be built on property south of the resort in the area currently used for the RV park. Southall said they would be townhouse-style condos “similar to what you see out at the jetty” in Ocean Shores.

The Quinault Beach Resort at Hogan’s Corner opened in 2000. Southall said the resort would partner with a points-based time-share company like Trendwest, where time-share buyers choose destinations based on the amount of points they accumulate.Both Tsukada and Southall said the resort is doing well, and the demand exists to support expansion.

“Capacity vs. demand becomes an issue for us on the weekends,” Southall said.“We’re sold out every Friday and Saturday night, and in the summer that extends into Wednesday and Thursday.”

“The resort’s very strong right now,” Tsukada said. “We’re getting a lot of local support during the off season, and that certainly helps.”

Acting Ocean Shores City Manager Rich McEachin said the developments would “help the city more than it would hurt us.”“If a large convention comes to town, they currently have to book a lot of rooms in our town in addition to the resort,” McEachin said.With new rooms potentially opening at the resort, “that narrows the field of us getting their overflow,” he said. “But at the same time, any expansion out there will bring new tourists to the area and we reap benefits from that, too.”