Prince George City Council will take a look at a few different concepts for the Downtown Civic Core at Monday’s meeting.
There are two separate items on the agenda regarding the Civic Core District, one of which comes from Mayor Simon Yu while the other comes from the City’s Planning and Development department.
At their meeting on December 18th, 2023, City Council had directed Administration to “procure consultant services to prepare conceptual options and site design(s) for the Civic Core District Plan area that includes community consultation results and previously identified priorities including arts, culture and arena uses.”
At the time, a survey conducted by the City on what residents thought should be in the area showed residents had three priorities:
- Mixed-use housing (51.84 per cent of residents)
- Performing arts centre (43.31 per cent)
- Ice arena (29.46 per cent)
Yu’s vision features a three-dimensional concept model, and includes a new 5,000 seat arena to replace Kopar Memorial Arena, an amphitheatre, and a new orchestral hall or Imax Theatre.
Additionally, it replaces the Knights Inn with apartments and tabs the location of the North Star Inn as a “future civic development.”
“The downtown core development concept has been envisioned by Mayor Yu to complement existing land use options, addressing specific elements of the City’s Strategic priorities, by fostering community engagement, collaboration with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, and promoting sustainable growth,” the report submitted by Mayor Yu reads.
Other angles of Mayor Yu’s concept can be found here.
Two other concepts are presented from the City’s Planning and Development department, and don’t have the volume of new developments as Mayor Yu’s vision.
The first option puts mixed-use residential in the current spot of the Kopar Memorial Arena, while the new 4,500 seat arena would go in the empty space next to the Civic Centre that has been primarily been used for parking over the past couple of years.
There would also be a new mixed-use hotel where the Knights Inn currently stands, and a performing arts centre where the old fire hall used to be.
The second option presented by Planning and Development includes the same features, but in different locations.
The new arena would go where Kopar Memorial Arena currently is, and takes up the space where the old fire hall was as well.
The mixed-use residential development and performing arts centre would go in the open parking space next to the Civic Centre.
Neither Mayor Yu’s report or the staff report from Planning and Development have an estimated cost attached to their conceptual plans.
However, the staff report from Planning and Development states “the Civic Core District Plan will incur financial implications from detailed site design to construction. Administration anticipates that costs associated with consultant services to prepare detailed site design, servicing feasibility studies and renderings could be covered with the existing operating budget. However, the overall construction of the new civic buildings will incur significant financial implications to the capital budget.”
According to the staff report, Council will be presented with four options in regards to the plans at Monday’s meeting:
- Option 1:Â Council Identifies the preferred option and directs Administration to procure consultant services to prepare detailed site design, servicing feasibility studies (i.e. sanitary sewer, water and storm), parking and pedestrian analysis and renderings.
- Option 2:Â Council directs Administration to prepare another conceptual plan as determined by Council with direction on use, location and preferred size of buildings for the Civic Core District Plan.
- Option 3:Â Defer the decision of the Civic Core District Plan to another meeting date that is determined by Council.
- Option 4: Council receives the staff report to Council, and does not direct any further action on the Civic Core District Plan
Other items to be discussed at Monday’s meeting includes a security camera pilot program proposal, and a letter of intent to bid for the Special Olympics Canada Games.
The full agenda for Monday’s meeting can be found here.
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