REGINA – After sitting empty for over a year, there may finally be some movement at the site of Capital Pointe, the proposed condo development in downtown Regina.
On Monday the city said work to remove some underground power boxes is expected to begin on May 21. SaskPower, the developer BrightStar Corporations and the city had been discussing a time to remove the infrastructure. It will take four phases and could disrupt traffic for about five months. The first phase will limit traffic on Victoria Avenue and McIntyre Street.
Along with the traffic permit approval, the city also confirmed BrightStar handed in all necessary applications to get a development permit. According to the city, it is very similar to the one they received from BrightStar in 2010.
“There are just minor design modifications to the building, but we’ll be working through an urban design process with this application review to ensure the proposal is consistent with the new downtown neighbourhood plan,” said the city’s manager of current planning Fred Searle.
Several years ago BrightStar obtained a building permit, but let it lapse as financial and infrastructure challenges disrupted the project. The city says it will take up to four months to get approval from city council again, but if everything stays on track construction work could begin late this summer or early in the fall.
Greg Black, the BrightStar’s project manager for Capital Pointe said an announcement is expected next week about the project’s future, but was tight lipped on Monday about what it would be.
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“I think at this point in time I’m not going to offer any promises on anything happening,” said Black. “I think we’ll wait a few days and things will become evident.”
Reginans are not alone in waiting for work to begin on a project by BrightStar. In Georgina, Ontario, a new condo and hotel project called Crates Landing was announced in 2006 on prime real estate along the water. Seven years later, nothing has been done except some work along the shoreline.
“They haven’t been able to deliver, plain and simple,” said the town’s mayor Robert Grossi. “There was always an issue, always something wrong with the project… We’ve been frustrated because their communications haven’t been very good and their project never went anywhere.”
Last week BrightStar informed the town’s city planner they will have a reduced role in the project as minority partner. Black said the decision did not have anything to do with helping to finance Capital Pointe, which is the company’s only other current major project.
BrightStar was also on board in 2012 for a major senior’s residence and new legion in Meaford, Ontario. After the company asked for several extensions to meet the necessary number of units sold, the legion pulled the plug.
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