By Neil Corbett

Mission Record

Having out-bid the District of Mission for the property he needs, Howard Meakin is sticking with his plans for the Sturgeon’s on the Fraser waterfront development.

“Because of the interference of the district, it cost us $350,000 more than what the vendors would have taken,” said Meakin, who successfully bought the former Meeker Lumber property on Harbour Avenue for $1.5 million on Thursday.

Just days before the sale he learned that he would be bidding for the property, which was in receivership, against the District of Mission.

Meakin’s next step is to put a development proposal before the district. The developer of Vancouver’s Gastown district, will bring the Friendship 500 Barge up the Fraser from Vancouver, give it a $3 million (approximately) refurbishing and anchor it at the foot of Horne Street. It will house a fine dining restaurant, a taphouse and deli/coffee shop. There will also be a ticket counter for West Coast Air float plane service, linking to Victoria and Nanaimo, and there will be moorage for fishing guides, eco tour guides, outdoor adventure operators and seaplanes.

He said the 1.6-acre Meeker property he finally bought last week is critical to Sturgeon’s. In the first phase outlined above, it will provide parking, but a second phase would see a hotel and spa development. Meakin would also like to have a chapel building for weddings at the scenic location.

“We’re going to make this thing hum, I can tell you.”

He characterized the district’s interest in the Meeker property as “they tried to scoop it from us.”

“I don’t think they realize how complex it is to obtain a long-term tenancy on the riverfront,” he said. “We spent a year getting all the approvals from Fisheries to Navigable Waters, Tourism, Forestry – you name it,” he said.

But Mayor James Atebe told The Record this week the city’s interest in the Meeker property dates back to 2006, when the city drafted its own plan for the waterfront – a plan that excited the public at the time, he said.

That plan includes residential and commercial buildings, green space, a civic precinct and potentially a post secondary campus.

It is a long-term vision of developing approximately 200 acres of waterfront, requires an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in investment, over a period of 20 or more years.

“Really, we would be creating an environment where people can live, shop, play and work.”

According to Atebe, the Meeker property was strategic to the city’s plans, providing a linkage between the river and Horne Street, and ultimately with downtown Mission.

He said law requires the city to keeps its land deals secret, so the developer could not be informed of the municipality’s interest.

What’s more, he said the district has no official plans from Meakin.

“Right now, there’s no formal application with regard to this property with the district.”

He said the district receivers numerous inquiries from developers. “A lot – the majority – don’t go anywhere.”

Atebe said Meakin may have been surprised by the city’s interest in the Meeker property, but maintains “it would not have been appropriate to inform him.”

Meakin said the property could have been had for as comparatively little as $600,000 back in 2005/2006, if the city had an interest at that time.

The developer hopes his relationship with the district will not have been damaged by the competition for the property.

“If we can mend our differences, and if the city plays fair with us, that’s all we pray for,” he said. “Everyone will be a winner.”

He has been working with the Vancouver Port Authority on moving the barge, and said it could be towed down the Fraser as soon as February.

Said Atebe: “I look forward to having a formal application, and I’ll put it out for scrutiny and public input.”