Plans to tear down the former barge terminal are being considered in order to make space for the area at Westview’s waterfront to be redeveloped, said City of Powell River director of planning Thomas Knight.
The city confirmed it has received the building permit from the federal government for the new Canadian Coast Guard station that will be built at the location next to the South Harbour, said mayor Dave Formosa.
The area is Crown land, but the city owns the head lease on it.
“We worked hard with the coast guard and we'll have a really nice building to go down there,” said Formosa.
The coast guard station is a modular building with a facade to match the city’s new wharfinger’s building near the Westview ferry terminal. The placement of that building will require that approximately one third of the old barge terminal building is taken down.
Local structural engineer Paul Steffens has been contracted to assess the steel building and provide a report on what is required to take it down.
The former wharfinger building with public washrooms is currently located there, in addition to the old barge terminal steel structure. Whatever redevelopment happens, the old wharfinger building will be moved to accommodate new uses.
Knight said the city has consulted the public for its thoughts on what it would like to see developed there in addition to the coast guard building.
“We’ve done a number of popups to get input what people want to see done at the barge facility,” said Knight.
The city received more than 500 responses and planning staff are expected to report to council with results later in August.
