at least council has something to be proud of

It sure would be nice if they actually did something w/ this land...i was actually disappointed when I heard that the City had bought the land that the PG Hotel is on...they talk in circles and aren't really much into action...perhaps they will hire people to do "studies" to see what they should do w/ this land...just sayin'...

And the city doesnt pay taxes to itself, nor do they pay the DBIA, therefor offloading even more onto the tax payers of the city and the business owners downtown.

Im curious, how much of this land has been bought under Daper Dan's tenure?

When is the last time the city sold a lot, when was the last time a private business was set up on one of the cities properties?

No wonder Dano was in such a hurry to push through the DBIA. It wasnt going to cost the city anything due to the double standards act.Taxes to business, none for the city. This is worriessome, People of Prince George should be concerned. We have
Obama style in our city council.

Yes it's amazing to me...I think I could make the people of PG happier if were mayor and I certanly don't have the "qualifications" because the first one must be "lack of common sense"

Hardly heart warming when private investors pass on purchasing property downtown and the city comes to the rescue. As a tax payer I would much rather see our dollars go towards roads, recreational facilities, and general cleanup of roadside debris.
How much more land does the city need downtown? Core development has been a bust in places like Thunder Bay, Detroit, etc. Trying to force business to located downtown is certainly not the answer.

No wonder our taxes are INCREASED every frigging year!

road side debris? As in garbage? Isn't it unreal how much garbage there is on the sides of the road...I was walking the university hill yesterday and I saw an empty Mr G's bag and I filled that and another loose bad that was caught in a bush and filled that, pluse I was carrying an eavestroph, yes and eavstroph and a paint holder for when you use a roller...what do people do? Drive along finish their fast food and just chuck it out the window of their vehicle? Are people seriously this stupid?

$300000 for a $80000 lot..... good deal Dan!

"Hardly heart warming when private investors pass on purchasing property downtown and the city comes to the rescue"

That is true. But do you know that is the way it happened rather than the other way around?

When the largest landowner goes shopping, prices go up. When someone else does, they go down.

How do you know that did not happend?

Read the previous article, Closing of the PG hotel, and it might give everyone a hint of a master plan. Cleaning up downtown.

Whining and complaining aside, this is a good step towards fixing the problems in the downtown. Once the City can get enough land, then a plan can be made for it.

Face it, nobody significant would take their business downtown in its current state. At least they are doing something, as opposed to doing nothing and hoping things work out, which is pretty much what the approach has been for the past 30 years.

I agree with Resident, and I would think that many other taxpayers would too. I am wondering about what "returns" we as taxpayers can realistically anticipate from these massive property expenditures, when so many other aspects of this City are in evident crisis. I wonder how far the latest 2.5 million spent on the PG Hotel deal, could have gone to cleaning the garbage off the road sides, repairing our roads, saving our schools, etc? I wonder who these latest real estate deals are going to benefit the most, the average taxpayers, who don't access the downtown or care enough, or the downtown business owners and City council members (who are also downtown business owners). Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a downtown core that was safe, esthetically pleasing,financially thriving business district, but I don't think that the current approach of City council, to fund the beautification of the downtown core is feasible or in the best interests of the PG taxpayer in these current economic times. Perhaps Mayor Rogers it is time to begin to try some community consultation on future plans to spend taxpayer dollars?

I agree with Resident, and I would think that many other taxpayers would too. I am wondering about what "returns" we as taxpayers can realistically anticipate from these massive property expenditures, when so many other aspects of this City are in evident crisis. I wonder how far the latest 2.5 million spent on the PG Hotel deal, could have gone to cleaning the garbage off the road sides, repairing our roads, saving our schools, etc? I wonder who these latest real estate deals are going to benefit the most, the average taxpayers, who don't access the downtown or care enough, or the downtown business owners and City council members (who are also downtown business owners). Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a downtown core that was safe, esthetically pleasing,financially thriving business district, but I don't think that the current approach of City council, to fund the beautification of the downtown core is feasible or in the best interests of the PG taxpayer in these current economic times. Perhaps Mayor Rogers it is time to begin to try some community consultation on future plans to spend taxpayer dollars?

MrPG

I think Dan has a plan, he is going to buy all the land, then put a glass roof over downtown and have the worlds largest green house. He has high expectations, I dont think simple veggie gardens are up to his standards.

anyone heard about the deal with Hayer Homes and them building condos were john major was suppose to build townhouses.

OMG kidder.....not them! Tell me your kidding!

Mr. PG wrote: "Once the City can get enough land, then a plan can be made for it."

Let me see .... I'll buy the property and building first, then I'll come up with a business plan.

What kind of successful business person would ever consider that order of doing business? I know .... a taxpayer funded "business".

"anyone heard about the deal with Hayer Homes and them building condos were john major was suppose to build townhouses"

I have not heard that one ... let me see .... that makes it rumour 17 on my list.

The building on to of the parkade is owned by Commonwealth. They have put up a construction fence and looks like they are about to start tearing down that god-awful exerior and converting the inside to a medical clinic.

I doubt anyone in their right mind would ever have seriously considered building 6 condos where they were supposed to have gone. This is not Vancouver Coal Harbour where such condos go for several millions. As they say in carney talk, a sucker is born every minute.

The way I look at it, Council of the day wanted housing units, and the plan called for housing units in order to get it approved more easily.

The way I see it, the people of PG cannot have it both ways. They want the downtown to be 'revitalized' and flourish, so what should we do to achieve that goal? Doing nothing, planting a few trees and putting in a few benches have obviously not worked.

People compain about urban sprawl... if the City can aquire enough land, then they can focus on bringing bigger more established clients into the downtown core.

best idea I have heard of yet to clean up downtown. Buy up all the old buildings tear them down so the panhandlers do not have a place to be. But at that price I think we would be better off to just let them have it.

After the citizenry "fixes" the HST problem (the petition signing on that starts tomorrow by the way) we should start pushing for recall legislation for Municipal and Federal Politicians.

I think the following "story" explains the situation quite well. I think you can add "Municipal and Provincial Politicians" to the first sentence of the following story (which I recently read on the internet).

While walking down the street one day a "Member of Parliament" is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the man.

'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,’ says the MP.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises....

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

'Now it's time to visit heaven.'

So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.'

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 'I don't understand,' stammers the MP. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.

What happened?'

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning... ...

Today you voted.'

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=1185587

MrPG on April 5 2010 10:37 AM,

I couldn't agree more! The next thing I would recommend is to follow up on the idea of a councilor to buy/build a central all-in-one-place facility where all the social agencies are under one roof: St. Vincent de Paul, thrift shops, etc.

Those who need the help will go there. If they don't like it they can go to another town where facilities are more to their liking.

I don't smell any corruption. The city has a plan which must be kept under wraps for now.

Finally the city is getting serious about the festering pain in the rear of what to do about the downtown.

Good news!

There was a time, I'm told, that the Vatican owned 75% of the vacant land in Rome. But that's another story. Maybe hizzoner can over insure everything the city owns and pay some homeless guy a few bucks to be careless with a match. What I just wrote could be construed, under the Criminal Code, to be "conspiracy to commit..." But I digress, it's just a thought. Not a plan

There was a time when the Vatican owned 100% of College Heights ..... Now look at it .... roads in many places that were falling apart the day they were built and driveways and embankments that were subsiding and sloughing off .....

There are no guarantees. :-)

Mr. PG wrote: "if the City can aquire enough land, then they can focus on bringing bigger more established clients into the downtown core"

I think who owns the land has little, if anything, to do with it. The adage "location, location, location" has a lot of merit for business decisions.

If anyone is serious about developing anything in Prince George and a downtown location is waht they need, they do not need the City to act as a land assembler for them. Quite the contrary is true in the case of private developers. They want to pay as little as possbile not as much as possible.

Good point Gus.

BTW Charles ... a most delightful post .... too bad it is so true most of the time.

Anyone know what the PG Hotel sold for to the Commonwealth group before they sold it to the City for 2.5 mill?

gimmeabreak

rumor is they bought it for 2.5 million as well, but that included the liquor liscense.

Geeeee!!!! it looks like the City is the only one that is into future development, I would like to know their plans. I don't see many other developers comming to town and buying up land, the cost is too high to develop here, but the City can afford to sit on these parcels of land and let the tax payers pay all of the cost. They are good at spending our money, I wonder if they will ever make a profit.

Bert

it appears the "plan" is to give the property away or plant veggie gardens, which ever is easier at the time.