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Rethink the Downtown Condo Plan

By Ben Meisner

I think a second sober look at the proposed down town redevelopment might be in order. 

It is rather interesting that a San Francisco company can see the potential of Prince Goegre that we locals cannot. Do you, in all your wisdom, think that the down town will become the next growth area in this city? 

Let’s see, this development will result in upwards of 150 people moving into the core. We are proposing a homeless shelter within blocks that will grow that population by half that number. Where will these new Down Towner’s go to, say ,shop? 

Unlike Vancouver’s west side or the Beaches in Toronto Prince George just doesn't have that kind of draw.  In Those cities, you can eat at hundreds of eating spots, Prince George can boast Oh say five.  

Then there is the matter of grocery shopping, if you're going to go to Parkwood to shop, why not then live within the radius of that center where you can rent a home for a fraction of what a new condominiums will cost on Quebec?

Unless the Mayor and those people who are promoting the idea of down town haven’t noticed , we have three call centers which don’t exactly pay the kind of salaries that will be required to buy a $175,000 dollar pad. 

Down town in Prince Goegre is not where the heads of corporations have chosen to set up shop. 

So then let’s move on to entertainment.  Want to go a hockey game? You’ can always walk to to the Colliseum to cath the Spruce Kings, but  you'll need a vehicle to get to CN Centre.  

Want to take part in some sports? UNBC will require a bus trip. 

So what’s the draw for the down town? Cheap land, cheap apartments , well maybe in an existing area , but build some new digs and guess what happens to the rent . L

ast week I had a look at the down town of Kamloops.  They have a lot of businesses open and operating in the core, small retail shops, we don’t. They also have taken a special initiative to ensure that street people are steered away from the core, we haven’t. 

What we do have is a few political leaders who are trying to convince us that they are about to turn the problems of down town around. It’s the same problem we had in 1978 , 1982, 1985, 2000, and yes today in 2005 , we have zoned the down town into an area where the average person would not want to live unless there were some very good perks. 

Building a few condominiums using some city money  for seed, just doesn't cut it. 

I’m Meisner and that is one man’s opinion

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