North Bend makes way for 121-room hotel

In the latest update of a years-long effort to increase tourism in North Bend, demolition has begun at the North Bend Outlet Mall to make way for a 121-room La Quinta/Hawthorne Wyndham hotel.

A municipal code change approved by the city in 2021 increased the maximum building height in the outlet mall from 35 feet to 65 feet — a restriction that had previously turned away potential hotel chains — securing the hotel’s future presence in the Valley.

“The new hotel will provide a crucial missing link to tourism in North Bend and the Snoqualmie Valley by providing additional overnight accommodations to travelers and visitors to North Bend,” said Rebecca Deming, North Bend’s community and economic developer director. “As a result, we will see more customers to local businesses, increased job opportunities for residents, and greater tax revenue for local services.”

The 81,500-square-foot hotel will feature an indoor pool and a rooftop bar/patio, and create upwards of 25 new locally-hired jobs, said Alan Ames, a senior construction manager for Wyndham, during a North Bend work study meeting on Aug. 21, 2021.

While city officials are confident that the project will bring positive change, some residents remain torn.

When the height restriction was changed during the Dec. 7, 2021, North Bend City Council meeting, residents concerned themselves with environmental consequences and the impact the 65-foot hotel would have on the city’s rural character.

“I think this is a real slippery slope,” said North Bend resident Jeff Krueger during the public comment period. “My concern to the council is at what point do we say we are just going to build this place out, we’re chopping down all the trees. Once the character of the town is gone, it’s gone forever.”

The city went on to pass the code and assured the community that an environmental review would be conducted before construction began.

The building permit, including the demolition of the 1.27-acre portion of the building, was issued on Feb. 1, 2024. A SEPA checklist dated Feb. 13 found no significant adverse environmental impacts relating to the construction of the hotel.

The city posted a video of demolition at the site on March 15 to its Facebook page and received feedback from citizens concerned with the recent increase in crime at the outlets, which Police Chief Brian Lynch detailed during a City of Snoqualmie public safety meeting Feb. 20.

“We’re looking at a 17% increase in theft at the outlet malls,” Lynch said. “I would dare say that 90% of the crimes we see there are not homegrown… those are people coming up Highway 18, coming from Seattle, they are not from here.”

To mitigate those concerns and prepare for the future influx of tourists, the Snoqualmie Police Department, the City of North Bend and representatives from the group that owns the outlet mall met recently to discuss a variety of options.

North Bend announced Feb. 8 that collaborative moves by the stakeholders were being made to establish a satellite police station in the mall. This station would allow permanent police vehicle presence, provide high visibility and lower incident response times.

The department is also considering installing cameras to provide officers with photos and information about stolen vehicles as they arrive on the property.

Lynch also recommends that citizens share their concerns about crime in North Bend with their local and state representatives.

A construction start date has not been established because the hotel’s plan is still under review, but the Wyndham Hotel is projected to be open by the end of 2025 or early 2026, said Deming.

The outlet mall will remain open during construction.