Back to The Drawing Board for Plan on Golf Club Lands

Thursday, August 21, 2008 03:00 PM

Prince George, B.C.- The City of Prince George has dropped the idea of including an "Auto Mall" in it's design for the former Prince George Golf Club lands.

Dan Milburn, Manager of Long Range Planning says the auto mall wasn't very popular "We did not get the response we were hoping for and so we will now re-work the plan and then bring it back for public consultation and then on to Council.

Under the earlier plan the site would have seen an Auto Mall built on a portion of the landclosest to the highway 16-97 intersection. That would require the removal of the Prince George Playhouse theater.

Milburn says the economy may have played a role "It may have been in part because of the slow economy in auto sales we didn’t get the interest to move forward with the idea." The idea may also have recieved a cool reception as two of the major car dealerships in town have spent significant amounts on the development of new, or existing sites.

The plan for the lands included a golf course, mix of residential and commercial development, land for seniors' housing, expansion of the Pine Centre Mall, removal of the roller-dome for a hotel, and removal of the Playhouse for the construction of an auto mall.

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Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008 03:00 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: bohemian on August 21 2008 3:05 PM

How is it that ALL three proposed concepts had an auto mall in the most dominant (visually) part of the site plan.

I asked 2 councilors yesterday why our "planning" department had such lack of imagination.

Silence.

Posted by: dan on August 21 2008 3:32 PM

This section of land becoming available should be taken as an opportunity to create a new landmark within our city. Something that will promote the city of PG and increase tourism.

It is one of the major intersections in the Province, and the best we can come up with is an auto mall??????

Somebody missed the boat on that one, and I am very happy that it was turned down.

I think it needs to be something that makes people take notice... A tourist attraction that makes people want to visit, or perhaps even move to PG.

Perhaps I am thinking too far out there, but it seems to me that this could be one amazing opportunity that we are letting pass us by.

Posted by: Resident on August 21 2008 3:38 PM

Re "A cool reception as 2 of the major local auto dealerships have spent significant funds". check the facts. There are only 2 owners of the major dealerships in town with the exception of KIA. Under common ownership, Wood Wheaton, Schultz, PG motors and Honda. Under the other umbrella, Dodge, Hyundai, and Nissan. The city planners must get their ideas from travelling through Kelowna on holidays. Lets make PG into strip mall city.
It is hard to believe we actually pay these clowns in city hall. Anyone who driven around PG in the last year can see the investment the auto dealers have made in new buildings and land aquisitions. Did the city actually expect them to abandon these signiicant investments and jump on the auto mall band wagon.

Posted by: MrPG on August 21 2008 3:44 PM

Almost anything has to be better for such a high profile location than the eyesore that is the PG Rollerdome. Don't get me wrong, it's a well used facility, just ugly as sin and it probably should be somewhere else.

I'm not sure now is the time for doing any major development at that intersection considering the massive cloud of economic uncertainty that's hanging over this town right now.

Posted by: dgdiggler on August 21 2008 3:44 PM

Expand "Crime centre mall"? WHy? The factor of building such would depend on the local economy also would it not?

Let some lower mainland developers create a nice subdivision with the golf course in there because the PG developers dont have a clue. Look at tyner estates...they're not really selling like hotcakes in there, are they? Could there be some unstable land problems in there? ONe realises the economy is a factor there too. Or, the city can just sit on the property....

Posted by: MrPG on August 21 2008 3:47 PM

Tyner Blvd's failure right now has less to do with land stability than it does with the economy and the housing market.

Seems like one out of every tenth house is for sale in this town, why build a new one?

Posted by: Born in BC on August 21 2008 4:04 PM

Even when the economy was strong Upper CH had alot of houses for sale. And they are commodity houses, alot of grade entries with some 2 stories, small lots, poor soil stability. Im glad I never bought in CH.

Posted by: lostfaith on August 21 2008 4:08 PM

Turn the whole property into a giant indoor waterslide, wave pool type of park.

Posted by: Bridge on August 21 2008 4:17 PM

Come November you will all be able to make a differencs by runing for city council. With all this knowledge you will be able to solve the problems facing us. Or are you afraid to run for council because everyone will "hate you".

Cheers

Posted by: metalman on August 21 2008 5:04 PM

Good points Dan. I never thought of that intersection that way, but it would be an ideal location for something other than highway commercial.
metalman.

Posted by: Lamb on August 21 2008 7:14 PM

Don't think you are too far out dan, we just need some creativity and imagination for the site. I would have liked the golf club to have stayed. If they had taken the pine out, netted and planted they could have been up and running by now. It is such a great course.
I am glad there isn't going to be an auto mall.

Posted by: Palopu on August 21 2008 7:45 PM

Maybe we shud leave the Playhouse Theatre where it is and forget about the phony, ill conceived, elitist Performing Arts Centre.

Whats the chances of that happening???

Posted by: Runner46 on August 21 2008 8:36 PM

hold your breath, please?

Posted by: robichal on August 21 2008 8:55 PM

Anything would be better than what is there now! That rollerdome is disgusting! I can't believe it hasn't been pulled down already! If it's used so much and is so important than why isn't there a bylaw to keep it presentable! Or if there is such a bylaw then why is not enforced?

I don't have any brilliant ideas about what should go there...but I am very happy to read that it isn't going to be an auto mall! If a hotel goes where the roller dome is, than maybe some entertainment of some sort would be good. I try very hard to avoid taking anyone from out of town to our downtown...avoid, avoid, avoid! It's just an embarrassment! That just makes me sad, downtown should be getting better - not worse. Not sure what the solution is that's for sure!

Posted by: zoopdingle on August 21 2008 9:01 PM

I smell grease. Who's palm could that be?

Posted by: vocer on August 22 2008 8:48 AM

hear hear palopu. I agree to having a performing Arts center but expanding the PG playhouse to a size needed to accomodate the needs of the people that use it would be just as beneficial. Rather than spend millions on a center used by an exclusive group. Imagine what that money could do for our road system.

Posted by: Eagleone on August 22 2008 11:21 AM

If we ever wanted to have a location for high density urban residential then that is the location IMO. Its high enough off the water table for under ground parking, has excellent traffic serviceability in place, and it has all the amenities an urban person would want withing walking distance as well as as an ability to tie in with existing mass transit in the area.

I'd make it a 6 story minimum and 12 story max limit in that area for condo's and apartment complexes.

Posted by: Eagleone on August 22 2008 11:22 AM

The new university students would sell the place out IMO.