How Did The Purchase Of Land For The New Delta Hotel Come About
When Delta Hotels, in conjunction with a local developer, announced back on October 7th, 2013 that they were building a new four star hotel in the city, part of the property that was being purchased was a piece the city owned.
According to the city, that piece of 10th Avenue was sold to the developers for $1.1 million dollars.
Recently construction ground to a halt on the project and the developer says they are in limbo while they re- work the plans.
In early April of 2014, some seven months after the announcement had been made and the city said they had sold the developer a section of the property, we asked city hall why there had been no land transfer from the city to the developer. We posed the question again in mid April, and again near the end of that month.
We were informed in mid May that the land transfer had taken place, May 9th of 2014, some 8 months after the project was announced.
Now it is fair to say that some of these transfers take some time, eight months is more than sufficient. One would think that if you were building a new 40 million dollar hotel you would want the property title in your hands while at the same time the city would want to be paid the million they have coming before you begin breaking ground.
City Hall says that the developer had been given "a license to occupy". Did that license to occupy have any money attached to it, and if not why not?
Would, for example the City Of Prince George been liable in an action if liens were placed on the project , and if not, how was that covered off by the city because their track record in this regard is not stellar.
Case in point, the Chances Casino opened in early 2008, a condition of the company establishing on the property was that John Major would build six townhouses on a portion of the "air Space" above the parking lot.
Majors sold the facility to Commonwealth Health, who, under the direction of Dan McLaren agreed to carry forward the covenant. Commonwealth went on to sell the City (through the province) , the air above the remaining part of the parking facility for $810,000 dollars, but still there were no condos built.
Ian Wells, Director of Planning for the City, says negotiations are underway with yet another new owner of the former "Chances" property and they have plans to expand on the six condos in question.
So let's read this right. We have a condition on a piece of property which has been on the books for the past six and half years and yet, in spite of the fact that developers have done well , the conditions have not been met. Indeed there have been extensions to allow for the construction of those condos, but one wonders at what point do we cut the talk and ensure that an agreed deal is met?
I'm Meisner and that's one man's opinion.
Comments
Seems like the City has a free hand in buying and selling land. The problem is that the average citizen rarely gets any information as to what is taking place until after it happens.
Does the City have too much discretion when it comes to buying and selling property?. I think that we need some clarity on what is actually taking place with City property.
As an example what is happening with the City property at the end of 4th Ave. that was basically abandoned when the City got its new digs on 18th Ave. I understand that this property has been sold or leased.
What is happening with the garbage transfer station property on 18th Ave. The City basically killed off the transfer station,. Are we to believe that the City will not just leave this hunk of concrete where it is, or will they sell this property to private interests, or keep it themselves for other uses. Either way it makes one wonder why they closed the station in the first place.
What happens to revenue generated from land sales??? Can we use this money to pay down the debt, or eliminate the need for a storm water utility tax???
This is just another classic example of “If you follow the money, the truths will come to bare”. These developers are now in a whole lot of trouble, and from my view it is unlikely that the situation is going to get resolved soon. One of these ‘shareholders’ has liens and lawsuits active and pending against them for projects throughout BC. I even understand that the cement ‘slab’ that is now a big eyesore, hasn’t even been approved by the City!
I thinks what may have happened to prompt the May 8th/14 completion of this transfer has nothing to do with what was intended, but some legal beagle demanded it before all the fur starts to fly, which would have involved the City in all those actions.
Stay tuned folks, because for one of these ‘shareholders’ and main Contractor in this project, all the truths and actual facts will eventually come pouring out…they always do, no matter how hard they are hidden in the cause.
The City of PG was just another one caught up in the hysteria of getting a “Delta 5 Star Hotel” without the participants that could deliver.
Try doing this with your house.
I remember when the project was first proposed and they were selling $400K and up condos as part of the development, and took out full page newspaper ads. When there was no interest in the condos (no kidding!), they changed the plans. Now they’re changing the plans again… at least that’s what the developers are saying. No timeline has been given as to when construction will restart.
This has the makings of another fiasco.
If the delay in transferring title to developers exposed the city to be named in any potential legal actions then the whole file should find its way to the city manager’s desk ASAP. The department head responsible for ensuring that the transfer is completed before development begins should be called to task.
The whole project has smelled a little off right from the beginning. Be it working through the coldest months of the year to pour the foundations, stopping work just as the snow starts to melt and then try to explain a month or two later that a “redesign” of the whole thing is being looked at???? Wonder if any of the nearby buildings have an office pool as to when construction resumes.
Condos at $400 grand with a panoramic view of the Connaught Hill stairs? Should have upgraded and improved those stairs before they started selling those condos. Big mistake, on someone’s part.
I’m interested in finding out how the bylaw changes happened. The city gave first three readings back in January of 2014. One year if nothing has been done then a new application etc must be made? Wondering why they came up with this one.
I did notice on a new application they are still using the 2011 bylaw. I could be wrong…………
CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE
BYLAW NO.8574
Document Number: 298631
A Bylaw of the City of Prince George to amend the City of Prince George Official Community
Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011.
WHEREAS Council of the City of Prince George has, by Bylaw, pursuant to the Local
Government Act, established an Official Community Plan;
AND WHEREAS Council has deemed it desirable that the City of Prince George Official
Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011, âSchedule B-6: Future Land Useâ, be amended by redesignating
certain properties and portions of certain properties from Neighbourhood –
Residential to Business District – Service Commercial as shown on Appendix âAâ;
APPLICANT: L&M Engineering Ltd. For Matte Bros. & Sons and Comet Investments
LOCATION: Parcel B (04455), District Lot 4039, Cariboo District, Except Plans: H226,
28088, 28628, 29887, 30133, PGP37486, PGP39527, PGP43199,
PGP43200 and PGP43805
Lot 1 and 2, District Lot 4039, Cariboo District, Plan PGP43805
Guesswhat has info wrong. But I would like to know if this will affect Commonwealth.
The question is, did the Mayor override City Staff? When the City Staff said, don’t let this development proceed until the land transfer is done, did the Mayor override City Staff?
If she did, some smart civil servant might have covered themselves by sending an email/memo, etc. confirming this.
This document might be accessible under an FOI request…
All this BS and every other deal like it are all set up by lawyers to make the special people among us a wack of taxpayers money for their personal benefit. One day they will all come crashing down in a ball of flames.
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