Council voted to lift the restrictive covenants placed on development along the waterfront. This area encompasses the land from Shipyard Point to the Liverpool Bridge.
In 2004, council adopted the covenants in the hopes of creating a tourism themed waterfront. The covenants came from a report done by Sperry & Partners Ltd. in 2003, which recommended a list of design standards to fit within the ‘Port of the Privateers’ theme.
“The vision for Privateer Park at the beginning was it could house a restaurant, museums, interpretive centres, et cetera. It was going to be a tourism themed area,” says Deputy Mayor Darlene Norman.
However after four years of trying to attract developers to come and build in the area, Region of Queens Municipality staff could not find any interested parties.
Some of these covenants included: the exterior of the buildings had to be wood shingles or siding; roofs had to have gable ends and no visible mechanical venting; and no signs made out of plastic or backlit.
Norman said it would seriously restrict what kind of interpretative centre Acadia First Nations could put on Shipyard Point. The current architectural drawings would not fit in these covenants.
The former legion land purchased by KB Anthony would not be bound by the covenant, because it is private land. However the company also bought 60 ft into Centennial Park, which would fall under these rules.
Neither landowner asked for the changes to be made.
“It was upon review that this kind of expansion on Privateer Park was not going to happen, so why keep these standards that would impede or restrict any kind of development in that area?” said Norman. The public became used to that as a green space. Council realized it would be very difficult after four years as a park to sell this off.
“Council now realizes Privateer Park is going to remain a park. The public expects it to stay a park.”
Privateer waterfront no more
But park will remain
The Port of the Privateer Waterfront idea has lost the last bit of wind in its sails.
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