By Frank Stanford, CFAX 1070, December 15, 2011
Victoria Council has postponed any decision on a proposal to redevelop the historic Northern Junk buildings, and a parcel of what is now city-owned property immediately north of them.
Newly elected Council member Ben Isitt objected vehemently to the idea of selling high-profile waterfront property to a condominium developer.
“I think our council is being asked – is being saddled – with a poor decision by the previous council, to allow the developer to entertain the idea that this public land could be available. I think too much city resources have already been devoted in terms of planning and conceptualizing a developers’ dream for what they could do with city land.”
Mayor Dean Fortin says the city has historically bought and sold land for a variety of purposes.
“So I wouldn’t automatically say ‘oh we never sell land, it’s public land’. That’s just a little. There’s many shades of grey”.
In this case the chief benefit would be to make an important heritage preservation economically viable. The Northern Junk Buildings are described as among the oldest remaining examples of Victoria’s commercial history, dating all the way back to the 1860′s.
Councillor Pam Madoff supports the restoration, but says the five storey new building being proposed is not sensitive to the “old town” neighbourhood.
Council did eventually agree on one thing, to ask for updated architect’s drawings, showing how the proposal would relate to the new Johnson Street Bridge alignment, rather than the existing one.
