Urban Renewal to hear plans for Luxury Resort in TD; Martins draw on history with Silo plan

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Mar 18

Here is a rendering of what the Sunshine Mill in The Dalles might look like if plans for an 80-room luxury resort are completed.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., March 18, 2025 — Local investor and Copa de Vino creator James Martin will present a sweeping transformation of the Sunshine Mill Silos to The Dalles Urban Renewal Board meeting this evening, March 18.

Martin is proposing a large-scale hotel development and resort at the east entrance to the historic The Dalles. The proposed project would include 80 rooms within the iconic silos, offering 4- or 5-star accommodations to attract affluent travelers and corporate retreats.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Dalles City Council chambers, 313 Court Street.
“We’re excited about it,” Martin said on Monday, March 17. “The Mill has been a destination for The Dalles area, but we need something more upscale to attract customers with disposable income.”

Molli and James Martin at the Sunshine Mill. Photo courtesy Travel Oregon.

He and wife Molli have traveled around the world and point to the success of several silo buildings reimagined as hotel/spas that draw big numbers.

Quaker Square is a transformed silo in Akron, Ohio.

Martin will be at the meeting tonight to gauge community support for the project and is also requesting $250,000 from Urban Renewal to do additional engineering and architectural plans for the estimated $32M-$34 million project.

Martin’s plan also calls for extensive event and meeting space, utilizing 24,000 square feet in the Wasco Warehouse and an additional 55,000 square feet for artisan workshops and expanded winery production. Martin highlighted the potential of the Mill's rooftop as an observation deck, offering sweeping views of the river and transportation hubs including the river and airport.

The Silo Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa is one of the largest tourism draws for the entire country, Martin said.

Martin compared the project to successful redevelopments in Oregon and Astoria, emphasizing the importance of ambitious planning.

“If you shoot for something smaller, you won’t get yourself on the regional destination map where you want to be,” he said.

Martin has hired Saddle Peak Hotel Advisors to do the market analysis.

Martin included details such as this one, giving insight to what people experience when they plan a resort experience.

“We already have a fair amount of industry experienced investors that are watching what we are doing,” Martin said. “Chris Krause with Saddle Peak analyzed every 4- and 5-star property in the Gorge. Who would think Stevenson would have 250 rooms of 4-star accommodations and The Dalles would have none.

Again, someone saw it, built it, and they came.”

Martin expressed confidence in the investment, citing the area's history as a trading and transportation hub and the Mill's strategic location at the entrance to the city.

“Our community lacks that one big thing,” he said. “This project is an opportunity we should not miss.”

Martin also noted the involvement of industry experts and investors who are optimistic about the hotel’s potential. He believes the development will provide long-term economic benefits, increasing the city’s tax base and drawing significant tourism.

“We have a great track record,” Martin added, noting loans taken from Urban Renewal to redevelop and improve Sunshine Mill were paid back in 2021 with interest. “We wouldn’t be spending our time on this if we didn’t think it was exactly what the community needs.”

In the presentation to the Urban Renewal, the Martins hope to break ground in the first quarter of 2026 and with a schedule of finishing the entire project in Spring 2027.

If Martin gains consensus around the project, he will also be looking for gap financing and enterprise zone property abatements to make the project pencil.

Martin pointed out that people seeking 4-star accommodations are “more afraid of not getting opportunity to engage and spend money. Part of their joy is getting a great experience and they are willing to spend as much as needed. They don’t have a price limit - those are the customers we need to attract to The Dalles.

“We used to have 10,000 people through The Dalles on a daily basis coming on trains and riverboats - everything west of The Dalles arrived in The Dalles,” Martin said, “and they had the massive Umatilla House (hotel) to meet them. We have a history of being that place… We need to tell that story through a re-emergence of our historic property…This is part of us reconnecting with our roots.”