The site just off College Drive, home to the university’s beach volleyball courts for decades, will soon be developed into a hotel.

The university is looking to rezone the land next to the Stadium Parkade for a hotel development.

The plot along College Drive is currently home to beach volleyball courts and a century-old seed barn, both of which will be demolished in 2013.

“For quite a number of years it has been identified that [the university] wanted a hotel in this area,” said James Cook, manager of the University of Saskatchewan business opportunities office.

Cook works to strike lucrative deals for the university with the private sector.

“We’ve had lots of interest from hotel developers for a site near the university so we know there is a good market opportunity now.”

Cook said that the city is expected to approve the rezoning application in December, at which point the university would begin accepting proposals from developers.

For years, the U of S Students’ Union has used the beach volleyball courts for Louis’ summer league. The university has never charged the USSU for use of the courts and the league has been one of the union’s most dependable sources of income, raking in an average profit of roughly $24,000 each summer for the past 10 years.

The university gave the USSU a one-year notice of its intention to change the use of the land.

USSU Vice-President of Operations and Finance Steven Heidel said he has been working with the university to find a new location for the courts.

“We’re hopeful that over the long term we’ll be able to find a location somewhere else in the College Quarter project that will be just as accessible,” Heidel said.

He said a recent spike in the popularity of the beach volleyball league proved that rebuilding the courts is important.

“We’re a little disappointed [by the development decision] because the number of teams over the past few years has been increasing,” Heidel said. “Overall in the city, beach volleyball has been declining in popularity. For some reason our courts were an exception.”

For Jordan Nowakowski, a third-year member of the men’s Huskie volleyball team and a regular at the beach courts, the nixing of the league is disappointing.

“I know that Monday to Thursday they had volleyball every night and there was full attendance and commitment and I think that it’s a shame that they would get rid of that,” he said.

Nowakowski said that this will be a loss for students interested in being physically active during the summer.

“The vast majority of the teams were just students looking for some fitness and some fun. They’re joining a league with their friends, having some fun with a little competition every now and then.”

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Photo: Shan Lu