Patricia Motel, holdover from Edmonton's past, faces final checkout
In one of life’s unlikely twists, David Hamilton spent his first night in Edmonton at the Patricia Motel in 1969.
Forty-seven years later, Hamilton is the owner of GMH Architects, the firm representing the developer who now owns the motel and wants to knock it down to build a seniors housing complex that includes a tower up to 19 storeys.
“It was a nice place then,” Hamilton said. “It had a swimming pool at the time. That was really considered very, very advanced.”
The motel, at 7730 101 Avenue, is considered rundown and tired, and that’s after it was acquired several years ago and cleaned up by new owners, Hamilton said. The motel’s guests are now clients of various social agencies staying for longer terms, he said.
It’s also located in an unusual place for a motel, a residential area away from high-traffic thoroughfares.
But Edmonton was a much different place back then.
“At that time, and this will show you how much Edmonton has changed, it was a main road into town,” Hamilton said. “The Yellowhead (Trail), of course, took all the traffic out afterwards.”
