{"id":127,"date":"2023-01-27T20:27:14","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T01:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/landuseplanninginbc\/chapter\/__unknown__-5\/"},"modified":"2024-01-07T19:34:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T00:34:15","slug":"downtown_princegeorge","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/landuseplanninginbc\/chapter\/downtown_princegeorge\/","title":{"raw":"Downtown Property Developments in Prince George","rendered":"Downtown Property Developments in Prince George"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nProjects that took place in downtown Prince George are identified in Figure 1 and described below.\u00a0 These projects included civic facilities, social housing, and private housing.\u00a0 The descriptions note many of the regulatory tools employed by the City to encourage development.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Figure 1.\u00a0\u00a0 Downtown developments in Prince George, since 2010.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\"\"<\/strong>\r\n

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Source of base map<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n

1. Seniors housing complex (2011)<\/h2>\r\n

A 36-unit seniors housing complex was built downtown at 1373 Sixth Avenue.\u00a0 When the Commonwealth Health Centre purchased the old gaming centre, it also became owner of the airspace above the underground parkade.\u00a0 As well, new owners also inherited an obligation to build multi-family housing in this airspace above the parkade.\u00a0 These arrangements were part of an agreement between the City and the previous owners of the gaming centre.\u00a0 This agreement is based on the city purchasing the parkade and, as part of this purchase, the owner had to build six townhouses.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

2.\u00a0 Wood Innovation and Design Centre<\/span> (2014)<\/h2>\r\n

The Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC) is a six-storey wood-construction building.\u00a0 At the time it was built, it was the tallest wood building in the world.\u00a0 WIDC is the home of the Master of Engineering in Integrated Wood Design program for the University of Northern British Columbia.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

3.\u00a0 Wood Innovation Research Lab (WIRL)<\/span> (2018)<\/h2>\r\n

The UNBC Wood Innovation Research Lab (WIRL) is an energy-efficient building located next to the WIDC.\u00a0 The new lab is a wood science and engineering research facility for the study of building tall, large-scale wood structures.\u00a0 WIRL includes a wood conditioning and processing room, a lab, and classroom space.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

4.\u00a0 Marriott Courtyard Hotel<\/span> (2018)<\/h2>\r\n

This development is a six storey, 174-room, hotel at Tenth Avenue and Brunswick Street, which includes a 3,600 square-foot space outfitted for a restaurant.\u00a0 The development was valued at $35 million and includes convention space, a pool, and underground parking<\/p>\r\n

Six years earlier, in 2012, the initial project was based on a 12-storey hotel and luxury condominium.\u00a0 The proposed Delta Hotel was to have 151 hotel rooms, 34 condominiums, and a restaurant.\u00a0 After a foundation was laid, the site sat dormant for two years.\u00a0 \u201cConstruction started in September 2013 and then ground to a halt in March 2014.\u00a0 It took a $3.2-million cash infusion from the city, using money from a Northern Development Initiatives Trust fund, and a 10-year tax exemption to get work started again in July 2016.\u201d1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\r\n

In order to make the financial support work for the Marriott hotel development, some changes were required.\u00a0 Whereas a develop can apply for only the RTE or Early Benefit Program, there were not enough funds in the EBP program to cover the possible full value of the RTE.\u00a0 Consequently, the City asked NDIT to change the rules of the EBP program so that the two incentives could be combined to cover the full value.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Lheidli T\u2019enneh <\/span>Uda<\/em> Dune<\/em> Baiyoh<\/em><\/a> \"House of Ancestors<\/span>\"<\/span> (2018)\r\n[not shown in Figure 1]<\/h2>\r\n

The former Odeon Theatre on Vancouver Street was purchased and renovated ($1.7 million) to create a new community hall and conference centre for the Lheidli T'enneh.\u00a0 The facility offers full in house-catering.\u00a0 The name of the building is Uda<\/em> Dune <\/em>Baiyoh<\/em>, meaning \"House of Ancestors.\"<\/p>\r\n \r\n

5.\u00a0 Hyatt Place Hotel (2020)<\/h2>\r\n

The Hyatt Place Hotel is a 104-room modular building located at 585 Dominion Street.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

6.\u00a0 Park House condominiums<\/a> (2020)<\/h2>\r\n

Adding permanent residents to the downtown core has been a centrepiece of downtown revitalisation for more than twenty years.\u00a0 For this reason, the Park House residential development was hailed as a major accomplishment and turning point.\u00a0 Like other downtown projects, this development also required a partnership with the City and financial incentives.<\/p>\r\n

The Park House development, built by with A & T Projects Development Ltd., was based on a four-phase development with four four-storey 160-unit condo buildings.\u00a0 The project has reduced to three buildings.\u00a0 The first phase, with 37 units, was completed.\u00a0 The remaining phases will have between 32 and 46 units but have not been started and do not appear to be advancing.\u00a0 The project includes underground parking (see next item) with electric-vehicle charging stations.\u00a0 If completed, the residential development would be home to 300 to 400 people.<\/p>\r\n

This multi-family residential development was eligible for three financial incentives.<\/p>\r\n\r\n