REDDING, CA—Azul Hospitality has broken ground for a new 130-room, six-suite Sheraton Redding Sundial Bridge. The property is located in the Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a fun, non-profit 300-acre gathering place featuring the Sundial Bridge, museum, forestry and wildlife center, arboretum and botanical gardens.

“This is a very unique opportunity to open a property within the Turtle Bay Exploration Park,” said Douglas Leiber, principal and chief operating officer, Azul Hospitality Group. “The Park is a vibrant gathering place where the community comes together through education, cultural engagement and economic growth. The Sheraton Redding will be positioned perfectly to take full advantage of all the park and community has to offer.”

The groundbreaking was attended by over 200 supporters of Turtle Bay and the future hotel, including Turtle Bay's Board of Trustees, Board of Regents, Redding Mayor Francie Sullivan as well as the Redding City Council, and many other city and community leaders, along with Digger, an American Badger who is an animal ambassador for the Park. He arrived at the park four years ago and has been trained to perform natural behaviors on cue, such as (as his name suggests) digging. He gave his approval for the new project by breaking the first ground.