Maybe I'm missing something here, but to me, this seems to be a very uninspired plan. Move the golf course and replace it with some resdential and commercial (neither of which will likely be in very large demand for the next decade) is what it basically comes down to. Big deal.

Keep the Rollerdome? Are you kidding me? The thing is a complete eyesore and to be honest, to tie up that piece of property with a structure like that is goofy. It should be a hotel complex or something similar, that can at least bring in great property taxes to the city.

Keep Pine Valley? Again, short sighted IMHO. I will not debate the need for a Pine Valley type course, however, it IS NOT a nice golf course. I've played it, it's completely subpar. Pine Valley SHOULD be replaced with another Par 3 course that is carved out of the existing PGGCC lands. It is a better layout, it is in better condition, it's probably easier to do that than to dump a pile of money into Pine Valley trying to turn it into something that it isn't and it would give the city a significant UPGRADE in regards to our golfing facilities. Keeping the exisiting Pine Valley doesn't IMPROVE a single thing in the city or in that development area.

I thought that the redevelopment of this piece of land would be an opportunity for us to IMPROVE our city on a fairly grand scale. Where is the imagination? Where is the innovation? Where is the "wow" project or development? Are we just going to throw up some square commercial buildings (not even facing in the most appealing direction . . . see the current development where the ball diamonds used to be), build a few typical PG apartments/duplexs and call it a day? Are we trying to make the city better or just plod along?

To me, this just seems like a plan in which the first priority is to enable the PGGCC to move within 1-3 years. Instead, it should be a plan in which the first priority is the long-term improvement for the City of Prince George.

NMG ..... my hats off to you!. I could not have said it better. Totally uninspired!!!

It now shows me what I had expected all along. We have no physical planners at City Hall.

haha i agree i cant stand that roller dome... hmmm they should put a nice building in that spot, reflecting the north, and/or Prince George, like the Twin rivers art Gallery is a nice building, they should have something like that in there. Thats my opinion :)

The major problem with determining what that property should be used for other than its existing use is that almost anything that one can think of might work in a city this size or even another 10,000 should they ever materialize in the next 10 to 15 years, is that it takes away from an apparent push to have infill development in the downtown or even immediately adjacent to it.

ANYTHING done there in the next 10 to 15 years will put downtown development on hold once again.

So, we will see who wants what, if people even bother to show up.

Thus, for those who want to make sure something happens downtown:
1. no mid to higher density housing
2. no hotels
3. no regional commercial retail
4. no offices
5. no entertainment

1. It is recreation now and recreation can continue without too much concerns of taking away from other areas of the city

Thus a par 3 golf course with some mid rise density housing would work.

2. a research park powered by clean (not biomass but geothermal, solar, wind) energy would work if occupants could be found

Couple those with a botanical garden/arboretum with southern plants under glass in association with aviaries, ponds, public walkways, restaurants, hotels, and even some form of primarily indigenous focused zoological opportunities.

Think of an oasis for locals and visitors alike at the crossroads of the north south and east west highways.

The size could even be increased by developing a wide (at least the width of a street right of way) path under the highway to connect with the recreation activities at Carrie Jane Grey Park.

BTSW, I do not like being told what to do by the golf club.

If they want to sell it, go ahead. If no one wants to buy it without spending some time and effort in putting forth proposals that would fit this city, so be it.

Agree 100% gus.

wow, did anyone ever read the where they wanted to tear down the playhouse. I thought that placed looked pretty good. Nuthing like "paved paradise, put up a parking lot" for a automall. Ok you can tear it down and put in a park. But put a new playhouse downtown. Actually make the whole area a park. Build really nice park benches from the weathered floor of the roller dome. (and picnic tables).

And I agree with Tyson. Thats the main corner coming into PG. We need a amazing beautiful structure. Something liek art gallery or UNBC design to go there. Even that huge Log House Tourism Building in Williams lake would look good there. That outdoor center in Squamish, is amazing too.

Enjoy your saturday...

It's true,if the city and the people in this city want to see the downtown become something to be proud of again,the planners of this city need to put development downtown.
Not in a place where it will keep people from going downtown.
Using most of the golf lands for park or similar usage is the way to go in my opinion.

Can you imagine the type of park that could be developed on those lands? You could have a complete network of paved trails that could be used for walking, jogging or roller blading in the summer and snowshowing and cross country skiing in the winter (could also be easily linked up to the existing trail network), you have existing water features that could be expanded (maybe even large enough for people to casually canoe or row a boat around), you could put up a small bandshell type setup and have outdoor concerts, plays or even magic shows and stuff like that for school kids, you have a large habitat area that attracts all sorts of wildlife, you could develop some attractions on the edges of it (nice restaurants, a musuem, etc.) and for the most part, 75% of it is already built.

The more you get out and see what other cities do, the more you realize how terrible our planning is. We have a genuine chance to create a park space as attractive as the Bow River trails in downtown Calgary, the area around the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa, the trails on the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse and we want to make way for another Tim Hortons and some apratments that will look like crap in 15 years.

A large urban park that occupies a large piece of that land would be an absolute jewel IMHO. Let's think 20-30 years out and consider what it would mean to our city (that could be well over 100,000 people by then) to have a feature like that in its core.

Sounds like another Fort George Park

Haha and i also agree with you gus, having wind turbines or solar cells and geothermal in the city would, in my opinion, give a great positive outlook on the city, like in Toronto they have an urban windmill and it is really cool, i wanted to live there... kinda :) and yes having some exotic and "fresh" things in the city would be awsome, and we should put the P.G. playhouse downtown, the more good venues we have downtown, the more people will visit and then people would move downtown(have to build mid-dense housing first) then the more people downtown, business and office towers will go there and then our pop. will hopefully increase then we will be reconized as a city where people want to live :) thats my opinion :)

A great big park would be great. I can picture what you're describing. But guess who gets to pay for all the paved trails and water features and all the continuing maintenance of the whole park. It would add huge costs to tax payers here without any extra $$$ coming in. If a balance could be achieved that would have new development's taxes pay for a new park and then some, I'd buy into that.
The Rollerdome has served it's purpose in the past, but it's gotta go.(at the very least it needs major renovation in and out) Its important to give visitors a good first impression we need something better there for sure.

100,000 population 20 to 30 years out. Nah.
We'll still be "small town B.C." and still fighting over the downtown redevelopement.
Don't believe me?? Global tv agrees.

If we get rid of the roller dome, where will the cops hide for their favorite speed trap? Oh yeah, they can go back to Ferry and Clapperton.

Does anyone remember Aberdeen Glen and how it was going to take the business from the PG Club?? It worked and I see no reason the citizens of PG should foot the bill for their snotty, puffed up attitudes. I will never play golf there again even if it was free.

I agree that the city (read: us taxpayers) should have no involvement with the PGGCC - if they want to sell, sell. Otherwise, fix it up and SU. Why do we need the city to approve certain plans so thier values go up? To be blunt - Not Our Problem.
The rollerdome eyesore really does need to go and its not like its a highly sophisticated operation that cannot be replicated elsewhere if the demand is there. The Playhouse worries me because I have this sneaking suspicion that once it is removed then the PAC will become a MUST HAVE priority...

The PG Golf and Curling Club for all intents and puroses in **broke**.

If someone wants to buy the :PGGCC, they would have had to go to the City with a development plan. Seems at this point in time no one wants to buy, so the City did the plan themselves.

This plan will no doubt attract a buyer sometime down the road, however the PGGCC can not wait. They need the money now.

Because they are a Registered Society, if they go bankrupt the assets of the Society would go to the Provincial Governmet. Not likely that the City will let that happen.

Once again we do not know what is going on behind the **green door** however you can rest assued that whatever it is, it will not be good for taypayers.

I will predict that if this propety is not bought by Private delelopers fairly quickly, that the City will cook a deal with the Golf Course and buy them out. That would be with $15 Million of taxpayers money. The rationale would be that the property is worth $15 Million or more, so the City wouldnt lose anything, and over time they could sell the property piece meal to developers.


So at the end of the day the Golf Course gets their money, developers can pick up prime pieces of property without expending too much money, and the City (taxpayers) will pick up the tab.

The problem is the new Golf Course will also go broke, because it will have few members, and golf in the Interior is on the decline.

The PGGCC property would not be developed for 15 to 20 years, if ever, because the City is in a huge decline, with no end in site.

So we are once again going to get stiffed, because the City cant keep its nose the hell out of business, and real estate.

Have a nice day.

Good Points Pal. It does seem that the city is either in the way, or controlling the outcome of any future developments in that location. Maybe they are just trying to outlast the PG Golf & Curling Club until they do go broke and then just take it over.

I have to say that I was pleased that the Auto Mall proposal didn't fly? We have an opportunity to encourage (facilitate) the development of one the most desirable pieces of property in the entire city.

Does anyone have a vision? It's time to see who we have elected has any real future vision for this city. Please step forward and help us see the potential.

Based on the past, the "Vision" is not going to come from the City.

We have some recent experience with that.

1. 15 years of downtown revitalization - pretty isn't it, but where is the meat?

2. OCP - delayed for many years so running with same olde, same olde that obviously does not work since it got us to where we are now.

3. SGOG - put on the shelves with a water feature that no one will admit ot supporting.

4. MyPG - no one knows the outcome. Design by committee.

5. DBIA #1 - a private vision centred around a year round public market and entertainment downtown - entertainment moved from downtown and no city supported public market

6. DBIA #2 - a private vision from people who others are fighting with because they dared to have a new "vision"

7. PGGC lands #1 - failed start

8. PGGC lands #2 - looks like a rehash

It ain't gonna happen with these folks at the helm!!!! They simply do not understand how to even rally the citizens around a process, let alone an idea. And they stand there looking dumbfounded when you tell them that.