After eight years of planning, ground has finally been broken on Redding's first four-star hotel. Officially, the first shovel full of dirt on the new 130-room Sheraton was turned over by a handful of dignitaries. But Digger, Turtle Bay's badger ambassador, stole the show Tuesday morning when he pawed at a pile of dirt.
Christy Kidd, Turtle Bay's public information officer, says having the hotel adjacent to the park and the Sundial Bridge will help to make Redding a destination city.
"The Sundial Bridge is a wonderful incredible landmark and just brings people into Redding, which is of course what we want to do,” she said. “It helps the economy and the whole city."
The project has not been without controversy. It was delayed several times by legal action from unions. They claimed that since the land the hotel will sit on was owned by the city, construction work would be subject to prevailing wage.
However, the city sold the land to the McConnell Foundation, who then leased the land back to Turtle Bay. Voters eventually approved the $600,000 sale. Work on the new Sheraton could begin as early as next week.