The developer behind a new apartment building for Charlottetown’s downtown is happy to see the project finally moving forward.
After three years of delays, including a challenge to the Island Regulatory Appeals Commission (IRAC), Charlottetown City Council is close to granting final approval for the Port House Development.
The developer won its IRAC appeal, and council unanimously approved an exemption to the city’s zoning bylaw for how high a building can be at the project’s planned location.
Final approval could come on April 9, when the motion has its second reading.
The CEO of the APM group, Tim Banks, said it’s unfortunate many city projects are held up by what he called “frivolous appeals or so-called NIMBYs,” he told CBC News, referring to the popular acronym for “not-in-my-back-yard” reactions to developments. “It’s time for this project to move on.”
Banks said construction will hopefully begin this fall on the Port House Development, which will be built on what is now a parking lot for the Polyclinic Professional Centre.
“I’m pleased that City Council and the planning department worked with us to get us where we are today,” Banks said. “And I’m hoping that things will go a little more smoothly now.”
