Old Queen's Wharf development discussed

The fate of a piece of prime real estate on the Charlottetown waterfront next to the new, recently opened, $24-million P.E.I. Convention Centre is being discussed.

The old Queen's Wharf is clear of most of its buildings, channel marker buoys and chains that were once stored here.

But the large, open, concrete-covered wharf sitting right next to the new convention centre is prime development land.

Coun. Rob Lantz, chair of the planning board, said the committee will be accepting proposals.

“We'll wait and see what anyone proposes. But we've always, throughout this whole process of developing the plan, we've constantly said that no development if preferably to bad development. So we want to see something that’s a real benefit, not only to the city of Charlottetown but to the public at large," said Lantz.

The old Queen's Wharf covers nearly two hectares of land. When the federal government decided to sell it off as surplus, it was offered to the two First Nations bands on P.E.I., through the Mi’kmaq Confederacy.

That offer expired six months ago.

No one from the Mi’kmaq Confederacy was available to speak to CBC on Monday, but in a statement the group said it is now negotiating with the provincial government over the property.

"The city regulates development. Eventually someone will own this property, someone will figure it out a way to use it that is presumably advantageous,” said Lantz.

“We're looking for entrepreneurs to develop it. But we have a waterfront plan, so we will control the development.”
Eddie Rice, another Charlottetown councillor, said the city shouldn't rush into anything.

"Lets enjoy it and decide really carefully because everything on the waterfront hasn't necessarily been to the best advantage long-term to the waterfront. That one can be held for some special meaning, and I don't mean a park, I mean maybe a public building, or a public-domain building," he said.