I won't be the least bit surprised to see this passed.
Major should be able to afford his own parking but I am sure , as in the past, his wished will be accomodated....

Just what we need another bingo and adult arcade center...as if enough lives haven't been destroyed already

So, the sale of the property has been completed from the city to Major's company?
This action indicates it is a foregone conclusion this gaming center will be established in downtown Prince George!
If approved? If what is approved? Isn't it obvious approval has already taken place?
I really should have been a soothsayer-my predictions are on target-well, they sure were on this topic.
I wonder who all the partners are in this company. silent and otherwise?
I could almost guarantee some hands at city hall could stand a washing-but that is, of course, just an opinion.
Now, I really think it is time to attack the "prostitution" problem, and establish some "safe houses" and allow them to operate legally, and pay their just dues in taxes.
If we are going to become another little Vegas, or Reno, we really need a "Mustang" ranch to house the fillies for fun and frolic!
This Mayor and council will put Prince George on the map yet-all in good time. As well they should.
Raise your glasses and toast the powers that be.
And re elect them one and all in the next civic election.
I do not think any residents fully realized what
a fine caring lot they really are.
You all have a lot to learn!

"The parkade construction is to be capped at $4 million dollars" ....

LOL

And if they can't built it for that or less, then some of the columns will be left out and the floors will be held up by skyhooks.

;-)

500 slot machines? Good grief, not that long ago people were being taken to court in B.C. for being found in possession of an Irish Sweepstakes ticket!

IMO the elected officials have a fiduciary duty to the citizens that elected them to protect the public interest and be the voice for those who do not have the time to express their opinion in the appropriate forums. Sadly this will not happen in Prince George.

In politics under our current flawed political system it is far to easy for special interests to manipulate the politicians and the political process with their efforts that go unchallenged by an unaware, unconnected, or time starved public.

Examples of special interest trumping a citizen based democracy include, but are not limited to, Alcan Kemano, Canada's support of Israeli assault on Lebanon, and yes even this gaming center in downtown Prince George. I don't think there is nothing the public can do to stop it this time around. This is a provincial-federal issue as much as a local issue.

In the future we should all support the BCSTV electoral process for no other reason than to make it hard for special interest to manipulate the first past the post system of voting against politicians out of fear and not for politicians with ideas through a system that via preference weeds out the influence of a special interest campaign on a political issue.

We need to sever the dependence of our elected officials on their special interest supporters if we are to save a citizen based democracy.

The 4 Million for the Parking facility is to come from the Citys off street parking and downtown development fund. If you have been watching the news lately you will note that the City is going to get the money they need for the Underground Parking Facility for the Metropolis venture from the same source. Cost probably the same. Does this fund actually have 8 Million dollars sitting around idle, or we getting a snow job.

If a local Citizen was to offer the City $500,000.00 from a business he was going to establish, he would be thrown in jail for bribery, however it seems the BCLC and the Provincial Government can get the Municipalities to support their endeavours by offering them money, and we have no recourse.

The establishment of separate funds at City Hall such as the gas tax money, the Teresan Gas Money, the Downtown Parking Money, Gambling Money, etc; etc; allows the City to target this money to specific projects that it wants, without having to go through the proper procedures and maybe a referendum. This is not correct, and maybe all excess money that the City gets from various sources should go into General Revenue with a view to reduce taxes, and to allow Taxpayers to decide where and when this money should be spent, and not the politicians without going through proper channels. It was never the intent to have local Politicians making decisions on their own as to the spending of Millions of taxpayers dollars. This situation has to be addressed.

Last year there was a hue and cry for a public washroom to be built in the downtown area to service shoppers etc; This is one of a few small requests from taxpayers. Do you see any washroom? Do you see any intent to build one? Do you see anyone from the City who cares? Maybe if the City could put slot machines in Public Washrooms we would have them spread throughout the City.

A public washroom downtown for shoppers?
And who is to be paid to attend in this washroom, or will it be rebuilt every time it is damaged?
Would an overseer feel safe while policing this public washroom?
I never heard of anything so foolish, so that stupid idea must have slid past me.
There is a question in many residents minds as to how Major manipulated the Mayor and council into complying with his intention to build this gaming center. There is definitely more than a Mexico trip in the offing. How he managed to get that location for the Treasure Cove has never been made public.
This Mayor and council do not give a Tinker's damn as to the wishes of the residents. They
spend and do as they please, and they actually never are taken to task over their actions.
To think of the millions spent to accommodate private enterprises and there would be a concern over a public washroom downtown for shoppers etc.
They must depend on people to "think small" and concentrate their thoughts on a toilet, while they are disposing of millions of tax payers money.
We might as well all stick our heads in the tank!
The bowl is taken.

Casino money screams really loud and has attention of our city ????

I think the City should put some one armed bandits at CN Centre .... no alcohol ... but gambling between periods ....

Actually we have "public" washrooms .... there are several hotels and a few other places that are friendly enough, some of them are even owned by the City ....

Two parkades right next to each other???? I might not have gotten it right, but it seems to me that the parkade under the gaming centre is to provide parking for the gaming facility and pick up the lost parking from the proposed residential development across Quebec Street. I beleive that at one time the suggestion was that that development would build its own parking for the residential units, even though, as they said, it is not required by the City.

I hear that there might be about a million $ in the kitty to build the 4 million parkade ....

Are the clients of the Casino (ooops, gaming facility) going to get free parking at the new Parkade after 6pm?

Who will enforce pay parking until midnight or later?

How is the City going to recoup enough parking fees to service the debt and pay of the principal eventually?

Trusted. My point is that public washrooms are necessary, especially for Mothers with children, etc if you expect them to shop downtown. It would only have to be open during the day 9-6 and perhaps until 9 PM Friday nights.

If you can build the CN Centre for a bunch of yahoo hockey fans with a net loss on the operating of this facility in excess of $380,000.00 per year. Or a Civic Centre that is empty most of the year, or an Art Gallery which is attended for the most part by a few citizens, a lot of school children, or a Library that fudges its numbers so that it appears that it has a huge number of people using it when in fact the opposite is more likely. The list goes on. Maybe the answer is to have people use the facilities in the Civic Centre, at least then, it would get some use.

Dont forget you have just hired 3 fulltime positions for the Community Policing Program. This program could be located downtown and have facilities for shoppers etc; and you would have built in security. You might as well get something for the $270,000.00 per year you are paying out for these people.

Im sure that if the desire was there, then the facility could be built and maintained without to much trouble, however I expect that nothing will be done. Whats new??? Maybe we could put up a port-a-pot that would suffice. This would reinforce the image that a lot of tourist already have for this town, which is that is it full of hayseeds, and unshaven beer drinking loggers, et al. Lets keep the image alive.

Mothers and children shopping downtown.
C'mon Pal-you really are not serious, as mothers and children in this city are not accompanied by body guards.
We would feel blessed if we dealt with hayseeds and beer drinking loggers, (with or without hair), downtown. I kind of remember the days when we had those-but I do not recall the "hayseeds."
If they are stuck for a place to pee- what is wrong with city hall? They surely must have a public washroom, and safety would not be a factor.
I truly do not even want to see toilets on street corners. I know they have them in Amsterdam, but they also have lots of ladies sitting in glass cubicles displaying their attributes. Now that would be an interesting addition to this city
Oh hell, what do I really care-I go downtown so seldom I probably would not notice. I have better things that require my attention.
I probably would never use one of those toilets. I have never been especially interested in filth, and I have a hunch a mother would not seat her child in one.
Best relieve yourself at home before going to town. Safer.

Gaming, Gambling, Bingo, what's the difference? This money is being sucked out of our economy and into the hands of a few people and government coffers. What is the real cost to our society? If we continue expanding these types of venues, who suffers? Who ends up paying?

Look folks, we don't need more study's to understand the consequences of these pastimes. Why are we continuing to support these developments? Do we not care enough about our community? Or, do we not know how to stop it? Chester

Chester-it cannot be stopped.
This Mayor and council approve anything and everything they want-and the people have no say.
A march on city hall by thousands may get their attention, but that will never occur.
No, the residents basically "do not care" and that is why the powers that be have such a free hand.
We can all go to hell in a hand basket-as the Mayor and Council want their private roads paved with gold.
We do not have to support their developments-they know what is best for us-and they make the decisions.
We really are a "stupid" lot!