Prince Rupert, B.C.- The City of Prince Rupert says Watson Island will soon be up for sale.

In a news release issued late yesterday, Mayor Jack Mussallem says negotiations on the purchase and use of the industrial site are now officially getting underway.

The island is home to the shuttered former Skeena Cellulose mill and has been in the city’s possession since last September after Sun Wave forest products failed to cough up millions of dollars owed to Prince Rupert in taxes.

The city hasn’t provided specific details, but Mussallem says negotiations to sell off Watson Island will involve interested groups within the region, some involved in the transportation industry. While just who owns what at the island and the mill site has been the subject of court battles, the Mayor says it’s important to kick-start local business and employment opportunities using the land and buildings available “in a timely manner”.

Watson Island is currently being used to handle products containerized for shipment through the Fairview container terminal.