Developer plans large houses at Celtic Shipyards site that businessman wants saved
Jennifer Miller
Sun
VANCOUVER – Ross Judge says the Celtic Shipyards — several warehouses on three hectares of land along the Fraser River — are historic buildings that should be saved for posterity.
But Bob McMynn, who supports a developer’s plan to buy the land, rezone it and build 12 large million-dollar-plus homes there, says Judge’s dreams are “laughable.”
Both will be at a Vancouver city council public hearing Thursday evening to voice their opinions on a proposal for rezoning the property.
The developer, Progressive Construction, is asking council to rezone it so it can be redivided into 12 similar-sized lots. The land is already made up of 12 lots — one large and 11 small.
Judge, who owns a furniture and prop rental business that operates out of a warehouse at the shipyards, has developed an alternative plan to turn the area into a cultural centre open to the public, including a pier and a public mooring facility.
“I want people to come down there and to be able to experience the absolute beauty and pristineness that is abundant in the area,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
He is planning to approach the federal government with his proposal — and ask it to declare the shipyard, located across the Fraser from the airport, a historic site. His online petition to save the shipyard had more than 200 names as of Tuesday.
The buildings were constructed by the B.C. Forest Service and used to build and repair boats used in forestry, Judge said. “That played a pivotal part in the building of our province.”
But McMynn, the president of a Southlands property owners association, says the buildings don’t have historic merit.
“They’re just an eyesore in the neighbourhood,” he said. “The property for a long time has been a real problem with drug dealing, prostitution, unsavoury commercial uses, et cetera.”
Progressive’s proposal includes plans for a riverside pathway and more than $1 million for Southland projects it would provide in exchange for approval to build homes larger than usually allowed.
The land is currently owned by the Musqueam First Nation, which has been negotiating for about three years to sell the land to Progressive.
McMynn said the original asking price for the land was $8.5 million, but it has gone up substantially since negotiations began.
Negotiations for the land will continue even if council doesn’t approve the rezoning, said Steve Kurrein, manager of development for Progressive.
Under the current zoning, the property owner could demolish all the existing buildings and file development applications for houses, according to city planner Rob Jenkins. The applications would likely be approved and the matter wouldn’t go to council, he said.
McMynn described Judge’s proposal, which was delivered to his home, as “laughable” because it doesn’t include any details of funding.
“I’m looking at something there that would take probably $15 million to do — they don’t say where they’re going to get $100,” he said.
Judge said he’s been contacted by several groups interested in funding the project, and he’s hoping for some government money.
“It’s just something that I feel I have a connection to, and if somebody doesn’t stand up and really make a stand for this place, it’s going to go and we’re going to lose a historic site for 12 houses.”
© The Vancouver Sun 2005
