Residents Offer Other Options for Friendship Lodge

By 250 News

Some residents of the Miller-Connaught area in Prince George have come up with several sites that could be a viable alternative to the property currently under discussion for a transition home for the homeless.

The residents are following the lead of the people in Kamloops who ( six years ago )provided several alternative options when they opposed the construction of Victory Inn, a home for some 32 people. The neighbourhood residents say they want to be constructive, and  have looked at some locations which may be better suited to  the B.C. Housing project.

The Friendship Lodge plan would see a three storey 30 unit apartment building constructed on the corner of 17^th and Queensway . The facility would offer services to those who are trying to break from their addictions, the streets, homelessness, or need support for mental illness.

Gerry Trendel, the owner of Cheap Wheels, has offered to sell his property at  3^rd and Queensway and go into retirement early, and says there are a couple of other possibilities that should be explored because they are closer to services, transportation and shopping than the Queensway  site.

Option 1 : The City Yards  at 4th and Ottawa ( photo at right) not only provides property, but  adjacent buildings that could be used for trades training.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Option2 :   1010 4th Avenue:  This building has been mostly vacant for  several  years,  The owners may be willing to sell. ( photo at left)

Trendel adds, there is the former  Odeon Theatre on Vancouver Street which is currenlty being leased to a  martial arts group and  to a local furniture store for warehousing.   He says the Native Friendship Centre would also be an excellent site, as it has lots of space available and two  large parking lots which  could be  used for  further construction.

"The Mayor and Council are always saying they support having more residential units in the downtown core, well this is an opportunity to  make that a reality" says Trendel                                                                                                                                                                      

Option 3 :  6th and Dominion.  The City already owns both buildings shown at right.                

Since  Trendel got the ball rolling, Opinion250 has  looked at a couple of other potential  properties, including the two  that are  pegged for  developoment by the Ghiai Corporation   so here are a couple of other ideas:                                                                                                                           

Option 4:  5th and Quebec.   This is the site which is supposed to be the  development of a condo/retail  development called Metropolis"  and is a project  being designed by the Ghiai Corporation (photo at left )  It is City owned property and while there is a lettter of intent,   the lot has not  changed hands.

Option 5 :  2nd and Dominion:  This is the  parking lot owned by the City of Prince George which is the site of the proposed  2nd phase of  the Ghiai Corporation  Metropolis projects.  Since Phase one hasn’t happened ...yet.... the chances of phase 2 proceeding would seem to be slim:                                                                                                                       

B.C. Housing says  it looked at other sites, but  has not yet revealed  the location of those properties. 

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