Plans for a pot-friendly hotel in Niagara Falls went up in smoke Wednesday after a fire destroyed the building.

Fire crews were called to the Pink Elephant Inn on Lundy's Lane shortly before 9 p.m.

Upon arrival, a two-storey building under construction on the property was fully engulfed in flames.

"Damage is extensive," said Ben Trendle, chief fire prevention officer with the Niagara Falls Fire Department.

The Travelodge, adjacent to the hotel, was evacuated as a precaution.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Hamilton entrepreneur Conrad Floyd purchased the former derelict hotel with the goal of converting it into the city's first cannabis-friendly inn.

The site had previously been home to a long-term rental hotel that had been closed following a fire.

Floyd had initially hoped to open the 37-room hotel in 2019 but the site remains under construction.

He said previously the hotel's all-inclusive package would include marijuana as part of the room rental. He also planned to host cannabis markets, car shows and food truck events, as well as a growing operation on site.