As any casual wanderer in the Cow Bay area would be able to tell you, there’s not a lot of action happening down along the Atlin Terminal area these days. Approximately 58,000 square feet were offered up for development by the City earlier this year and despite a few nibbles of interest, nothing substantial has been started on as of yet.
Listed through Colliers International, the city had hoped that development would result in a year round usage of the Cow Bay area with a vision of ground level retail, service and restaurant use topped by residential or hotel use in the upper levels. However, it would seem that would be developers and the city aren't quite on the same page yet.
From the Colliers website the property is listed as such:
Property Description:
Colliers International on behalf of the City of Prince Rupert is pleased to present the exclusive sale offering of the Atlin Uplands Waterfront development sites. The Atlin Uplands represents 3 land parcels of prime waterfront development opportunity. Located along the harbourfront in the Cow Bay area of Prince Rupert, the lands provide for mixed-use development with spectacular views, easy access, and close proximity to local amenities. The Atlin Uplands are arguably the most strategically located development opportunities in the City. The City of Prince Rupert is seeking Proposals for a Purchase and Sale or Lease of the lands in an effort to promote year round activities on the lands. The lands are comprised of three distinct yet connected sites totaling approximately 70,000 sq.ft
Location Description:
Incorporated in 1910, the City of Prince Rupert has a total land area of approximately 54 sq. km, and a population of approximately 15,000 people with a trade area of approximately 26,00 people. The City is located approximately 1500 km northwest of Vancouver, and approximately 720 km west of Prince George. The City of Prince Rupert is accessible by highway, water (BC Ferries, private boat or cruise ships), and by air.
The location offers easy and convenient access to/from downtown and other local amenities. The sites, characterized by spectacular water views, in close proximity to marinas, ecotourism opportunities and the Atlin Cruise Ship terminal offer the development community a unique setting in which to develop a comprehensive mixed use development.
The Atlin Uplands Development sites are owned by the City of Prince Rupert and fall under the jurisdiction of the City with respect to Subdivision, Zoning , Development Permit and Official Community Plan matters. Given the sites location relative to Cow Bay, it is entirely likely that the "Cow Bay Development Area" guidelines will establish future built form and design considerations.
Additional Types:
Retail (land)
Retail-Pad (land)
Special Purpose (Other)
The deadline for proposal to purchase or lease was June 22nd and the mayor says that council is working with several proponents on number of proposals. None of which however have captured the vision that the city had for its Upland Development area.
The Daily News lists the latest developments in its Monday edition in what is hoped to be Prince Rupert’s next big development.
CITY SHOPS AROUND FOR INTEREST IN COW BAY LOTS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, August 28, 2006
Page Three
The city has received several proposals for the remaining lands in the Uplands Development, but none encompassed the vision it was hoping to see.
So council is now working through proposals with the proponents to see if any can be altered to meet the city’s vision for Cow Bay.
“The best way to describe it is – it’s in the works,” said Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond, of the Cow Bay real estate that the city put on the market earlier this year.
“We did receive a few proposals, none of which on the first glance met our expectations. We are working through them with several of the proponents to see if we can modify things and get a proposal that works for us as well as them.”
This spring, the city advertised three parcels of land in the Uplands Development area through real estate agent Colliers International. They did not specify a price, but rather sought out development proposals. The lots include the 14,492-square foot triangular lot created by the realignment of Cow Bay Road, Manson Way and First Avenue East, a corner lot on First Avenue East and Cow Bay Road and the 31,613 square foot lot across from Atlin Terminal that is currently used as a parking lot.
The lands were marketed as prime waterfront lands, totaling 58,000 square feet, with potential to build off of cruise ship opportunities, although council stressed in their advertising they would prefer to see year-round development.
The Colliers package described the real estate as offering”an opportunity to enhance the Cow Bay area while capitalizing upon the growing cruise ship industry.
“The city’s vision is for these sites to be developed with ground-level retail, service or restaurant uses with the potential for upper storey development in residential or hotel uses.”
“The city’s preference is for year-round uses, which can capitalize upon cruise ship traffic, yet offer the community year-round retail and/or residential opportunities and will serve to strengthen the Cow Bay area.”
The deadline for proposals to purchase or lease the sites was June 22/
The development of these lands are part of the financial return the city hopes to receive for investing $3 million in the $12 million cruise ship terminal and Uplands Development.
Pond said council has seen the proposals and are actively working with several proponents.”
“Each proposal is different but there was overlapping interest,” he said, noting some proposals included more than one piece of land.
“There was also some local interest.”
Pond said the city would like to see some construction begin to take place by early next year, but added it’s something that it cannot control and whether that happens remains to be seen.
“It’s a little bit open-ended but we are actively working on it,” he said.
The idea of developing year-round retail and residential is to avoid the pitfalls seen in other communities in Alaska with cruise ship terminals where everything closes down in the winter and storefronts are empty.
Other land within Cow Bay was put up for sale by the province and sold in the last few years.
In 2004, the province put up for sale the B. C. Building Corporation and forestry building next to the courthouse, as well as the lots along Marketplace, between the museum and the carving shed and the residence at the south side of the court house, which make up the bluff behind the Sunken Gardens.
Concern about the potential loss of this green belt and the need to keep the remaining greenery in Cow Bay then prompted a group of local citizens in 2005 to take action and pressure council to rezone the remaining woodlands, known as Eagle Bluffs, as a parks area.
No comments:
Post a Comment