Plans are moving forward for a new retail plaza along Highway 16.
Development permits haven't been handed out yet, but concepts and ideas have been unveiled for a shopping centre next to the Sandman Signature hotel.
The Vancouver-based developer Platform Properties Ltd. showcased their plans during a city advisory committee meeting last week.
Current plans have the site featuring a main tenant at the heart of a five-unit plaza fronting Recplace Drive. Additional retail space across the 480-stall parking lot fronting Highway 16 would also be available.
A 25,000 square foot anchor tenant has been secured, said Kyle Shury, founder and principal developer at Platform. "I'm not at liberty to share with that today because of confidentiality agreements. Once we do have a [development permit] in place we are in position to announce that tenancy."
The developers are also in the midst of nailing down another 12,000-square-foot tenant for the southernmost unit of the main space and have prospects who have expressed interest in another building on the site.
The land, purchased at the end of 2012, was originally sold to River Point owners Anthem Properties before being split up with some sold to Rona who didn't end up proceeding with any development.
"When we first got involved in the land... we made Rona aware we liked the land we liked their location, but it was a lot at product - at eight-and-a-half acres you'd have 100,000-plus square feet of product there," said Shury. "Securing interest in that demand was going to take a bit of time."
Prince George is a competitive market, with new sites in College Heights and existing properties vying for tenants.
"We had been working with Wholesale Sports, for example, with the hopes of landing them here, but they were able to find existing build opportunity in the marketplace and took advantage of that," said Shury.
The developers said they see the project rolling out in two phases, with the first consisting of the southern two-thirds of the site.
And with its close proximity to the neighbouring River Point development, Shury said he sees his company's site as an extension of the existing mall.
"Although it is separate ownership, when the original plans were developed there was cross-access agreement off of Ferry through the central portion of River Point," said Shury. "There is a common road at our southern border and their northern border. We have done our best to align drive aisles, site buildings so that the centre can operate as a bigger one..."
The site was prepped for construction before the snow flew in the fall in anticipation of a late spring, early summer start date, said Shury. If subsequent permits and approvals come through, he said stores could open by early spring 2015.
