WIDC Nears Next Stage
Friday, March 23, 2012 @ 3:59 AM
Prince George, B.C.- The Wood Innovation and Design Centre Project is nearing the next stage .
Minister of Jobs Tourism and Innovation, Pat Bell, says he is hopeful a Request for Qualifications can be issued in the next couple of weeks “We have all the appropriate approvals in place in terms of Treasury Board and cabinet, now its just a question of going out and short listing the proponents.”
The first step will be the call for qualifications “We’re expecting a broader group will enter into that phase” says Bell. The second phase will be an actual call for proposals. Bell says the reason why they are going through a two step process is because of the complicated nature of the project. “It’s very, very complicated. It will be expensive for proponents to bid, in assembling their bid documents they could easily spend $100 thousand dollars or more, so we don’t want a lot of people bidding into the process who don’t have an opportunity to be successful.”
He expects the RFQ will lead to a short list of three or four proponents. “The intent is still to see concrete poured this fall.”
There is still no real design in mind for the facility, although the structure is expected to house some retail on the ground floor, along with possibly some government offices, and space for UNBC and the College of New Caledonia on the upper floors. Bell says the design will be more formally defined when the request for qualifications is issued, “It will be a facility that will be phased over time, and more groups will move in over that period. The reason that we haven’t defined it specifically is because we will be going out with a specific amount of money and looking for the maximum value for that dollar. “Bell says while there have been calls for the building to be 6 storeys, his goal would be to have it a ten storey building “My guess is that it’s going to end up somewhere between those two places, but if a proponent comes to us and says for that amount of money we’ll build you a ten storey building, they’re going to be the winner.”
The project is slated to be complete in November 2014. Bell says that means the building may be able to provide some space for the 2015 Winter Games, “Not really sure what the needs may be, perhaps media space, office space, maybe accommodation, but we’ll have a building and by having it ready in November the ability to be able to use that for the 2015 Winter Games prior to full occupancy would make sense.”
Comments
I think a better location for this would have been where the new RCMP station is being built. I hope they know what they’re doing. To me it seems they are wanting to build the building and figure out what the building is for after the fact. Originally it was supposed to be something to do with engineering, but not hearing that now?
If I was going to build the premier building for PG… I would build it at the North side of the main intersection in town 16&97… right behind the welcome to PG sign. 10 stories high glass tower shaped like an arrow pointing North. Make it a shared condo/hotel with a large swimming pool out front, and off the back bank have it a 5-story underground secured parking garage with access from the bottom level via Massey Drive.
Coming in from the south or west it would jump right out at one as a person approaches the 97/16 intersection.
Then build out the promenade from the back of the hotel at front ground level above the secured parking connecting to a future BofMontreal, CIBC, or other hotel/condo like buildings with pedestrian streets and all parking/vehicle infrastructure down below accessed by the ball diamonds.
With the core of a new downtown shifted to the Southwest it would have fantastic views of the old downtown, proximity to the largest mall North of Vancouver, excellent ball fields, running track, golf course, curling, and the Y all within walking distance. Build a covered pedestrian crossing over 97 to Pine Center and over 16 to the Casino and you have an area where people can walk all seasons to everything PG has to offer.
A building like that would be bold and iconic for PG and an enabler of future growth in an area that could easily expand and provide modern solutions to parking for an urban setting (something the downtown never will be able to limiting its potential due to ground water levels).
Clearly the focus of the city is at 97/16 intersection and everything is building towards that direction. Its an ideal location for future residential growth because it has access to retail, sports facilities, and has cleaner air than the current core ever will being a few kilometers further from the refinery… and far enough away from the sewage treatment plant to avoid getting stunk out from that as well.
IMO a building like that would be worth it to PG as it would be a game changer for PG and its image… a destination of sorts. A 10-story woody on George however is ho-hum IMO… a fast ferries kind of investment.
Ten story wood building is going to be Meh compared to the one being planned for Vancouver.
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2012/03/wood-skyscrapers-vancouver-tallwood-tower-30-storeys/
No concrete in the ground yet, still time to put this building at the university where it should be.
One really has to wonder,UNBC, College, winter games? sounds like no plan in place just another announcement.If your getting approval for the 50-100 million from the Government treasury Board there must be a plan unless they know they won’t have to follow through with it. Anytime we can get Government to spend in PG is good but more detail helpful,my guess is another announcement coming one we where expecting in May 2013.
Think you’re right, lumberman55. The only thing missing is an issue to make the call look necessary. And the BCTF will probably provide that shortly.
As for the spending of another 50-100 million on this project, that’ll depend on how much they think the local economy needs to be ‘stimulated’.
We need a winter games like a tooth ache. It has been said so many times before that we need to have our streets brought up to grade. When we have good streets and signs posted around the city pointing to tourists where to go to get the best bang for their buck then it would be time to talk about winter games. Prince George would be a city that tourists would remember with fondness and want to return.
It’s impossible to back out of the Winter Games now. There are many streets which need to be upgraded – in the downtown – and elsewhere in time for the Games! They need to be completely repaved! A crack sealing and *dumping some temporary fill into potholes* job won’t do the trick!
It would look lousy and be a ready advertisement for the fact that our priorities have been backwards for a couple of decades!
No way the Games can be hosted with the potholed, cracked and lumped over streets the way they are right now! It would be an embarrassment of national proportions! The reporters would have a field day!
Did any of the people who went out on a limb bidding for the Games give this any thought whatsoever?
No? There you go!
I have a feeling our taxes will go through the roof as soon as that reality sets in.
If they build this on the PG Hotel site, gifted by the City (or however that deal works out), maybe the City can request that the ground level of this building be for an indoor market. Think Granville Island but downtown PG.
It would eventually be a great tourist attraction – people can shop the market but at the same time look at the technology of the wood design.
Atrium style, exposed wood beams, etc.
If this building is going to hold offices, classrooms, labs – the people will need a place to eat/shop. This could be a catalyst to get the downtown ready for more residential units.
Hey that’s a good one Rounder.
Don’t forget to leave a space on that ground level for a Safe Drug Injection Site. It’s coming. Just wait.
The people saying o-250 is a bunch of whiners were generalizing by using Harbinger as their base level. Sorry I had too, he’s just so darn jaded every post.
This building will be another good piece for downtown. A farmers market needs a permanent home at some point. Market/mixed retail/Food would be interesting.
Jaded? Nah! Just an observation.
As for being positive, I can hardly wait until downtown is “revitalized”. Any deadline? Be specific.
I think Rounder’s idea is on the right track. We need shopping on the main floor (note!!! SHOPPING … not low volume service providers).
The concept described has already identified that.
In my opinion the shopping such as food products, etc. as well as artisan manufacturing and sales would fit. It would have to be subsidized. Market rents for such a facility would typically be in the $35+/sf range for such a new facility.
The one challenge will be to find parking space. A solution used in Richmond is to allow the base level of a parkade to be a short term parking area for such stores. That, of course, means that prime ground floor retail will be competing with parking.
Eagleone. As far as I know the only thing behind the 97/16 sign **Welcome to PG** is a hill. Dont beleive there is much space there to build anything. The Bottom of the hill on the West side South of the car lot used to be a **slough** Actually a big slough. To the North West of the slough to-wards the high school there was a city dump. So this whole area is basically useless, and thats why the City uses it for recreation rather than commercial, or business. If it was prime land it would have been utilized long ago.
The Wood Innovation Building is a waste of money. Why we need one is beyond me. What purpose does it serve, that could not be provided elsewhere. If it had to be built it should have gone to the University.
There is lots of office space downtown for those who need it for the Winter Games, why should a Government building be competing with established business’s for this business??? Unless, they are going to propose a P3 for the building. If so then I say to hell with it, we dont need anymore P3’s.
P3’s are actually GRO’s (Government Rip Offs)
Gus, I think one need not worry. the city, in one form or another, will be providing the parking space.
That’s the beauty of that location Palopu. The hill could be used for the parkade to keep parking lots and cars out of the view-scape. Looking down into the ball diamonds would be fantastic… certainly enough room behind the welcome to PG sign for a large quality hotel. Further out as one expands the old slough and dump fill would present some engineering challenges, but I’d argue less so than building at ground water level in the downtown if one was to use the base as parkade and the buildings elevated from the get go.
It would be impossible for the city to build that kind of recreation and shopping/entertainment proximity in the downtown in our life times and therefor is a much more suitable location to build high density urban highrises IMO.
BTW the Nechako River at one time use to run right through current day George Street, past Parkwood to the ball diamonds and out through the current slough south of Fort George Park.
Once again I must agree with you Palapu and will the owners be given 3 or 4 years tax free status as some of the downtown buisnesses have?? This loss of property tax has not been made public and I would sure like to know what that cost is as my p[roperty tax goes up exponentially at an alarming rate.
Convince city hall that your property needs “revitalization”. Good luck.
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