The City of Prince George is one step closer to securing a downtown development project for a new student housing facility.
The project, which has been two to three years in the making, has Mayor Lynn Hall saying he couldn’t be happier regarding the council’s stance on the proposed development.
“We needed to get people living in the downtown so it would really generate a buzz in our downtown core,” Hall told MyPGNow. “It just brings more life to our downtown.”
With the unanimous vote to move forward to a fourth and final reading of the proposed project, Hall states he’s ecstatic that council is all on board for the proposed 200-unit development, which will be constructed in the area of the Marriott Courtyard Hotel and the Prince George Public Library.
Hall adds that with the recent development of the Parkhouse Condo project, along with the construction of a student housing building, the downtown of Prince George will see a boost to its local businesses, as well as provide students at the College on New Caledonia and the University of Northern British Columbia an off-campus alternative.
Given the distance that would be evident between the new building and the post-secondary institutions, transportation for students would need to be a reliable service.
“The key piece here is to ensure that there is a solid transportation outlet for the students, and we have that,” said Hall. “If we have to enhance the bus service, we’re certainly prepared to do that as well so students can get up to the university in a timely fashion, or up to the college.”
The mayor says that the final decision on the project will be made in the coming of weeks, with development around the property expected to take place later in the spring, opening up for students in just over a year’s time.
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