Page 14 - IB MAY 2017

Business
Room at the Inn

Church ventures into hotel business

by Netani Rika
BIBLICAL accounts of the birth of
Jesus Christ speak of the lack of ac-
commodation in the Palestinian town
of Bethlehem, forcing Mary and Joseph
into a barn.
The rest is history.
Today Fiji’s Methodist Church – one
of the largest in the region with around
212,000 members – is exploring the
possibility of investment in business,
primarily a hotel.
Developed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel
Group, the $FJD110million Park Inn
by Radisson will include a hotel, apart-
ments and shopping complex on the Water sports activies at the Radisson on Denarau. Suva will soon experience the Raddison’s services.
Photo: Invictus
corner of Stewart and Saint Fort streets would ease the financial burden on church planned to use its substantial
in Suva. members of the congregation who pay real estate base to create financial self-
It will be the second Radisson property annual levies to headquarters for minis- sustainability.
in Fiji, the first being a beachfront prop- ters’ salaries and general administration. In the late 1970s the church developed
erty on the holiday island of Denarau. Established in 1835 the Methodist Epworth Arcade in central Suva to house
Carlson Rezidor has signed a man- Church has been gifted vast tracts of small shops and offices in a business
agement contract with the iTaukei land all over Fiji. It owns substantial venture well ahead of its time.
Trust Fund which already owns shares freehold title in the Fijian capital and But the lack of financial and invest-
in Radisson Blu and Union Plaza – a these properties alone – in Toorak and ment expertise within the church at the
shopping mall in Suva’s Central Busi- the CBD – are valued at over $FJD10mil- time – couple by the crippling internal
ness District. lion at conservative estimates. politics and bickering – hampered fur-
The Methodist Church will provide When the project was first announced, ther development.
land it owns for construction of the General Secretary Reverend Dr Epin- Tuikilakila, however, stressed the
hotel and shopping complex which was eri Vakadewavosa said: “The church is Christian value of responsible steward-
initially expected to open for business happy to be part of this exciting project ship of assets and set the church on a
in the first quarter of 2018. which marks an important step in the path towards financial reform before
The land to be developed is 16,000 development of its properties for the his death.
square metres of prime freehold of betterment of its members.” Because his plans were adopted by
which 8000 will be dedicated to the Since then the church has made no the annual conference, the organisa-
hotel and the remainder towards park- official statement on the hotel project. tion is obliged to follow through and
ing, shops, restaurants and office space. It is understood to be investigating the complete what is an innovative move
Negotiations continue on how revenue possibility of a similar development on for an iTaukei church.
from the investment will be shared by an island off the Coral Coast, Fiji’s main A statement by Carlson Rezidor said
the developers, the iTaukei Trust Fund tourism area. its Suva development would be the first
and the Methodist Church. Under its current New Exodus or international midscale hotel in the city.
But sources close to the church said Lako Yani Vou vision started by the “It is well positioned to capture the
it was hoped revenue from the project late Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, the corporate segment and the growing de-

14 Islands Business, May 2017