PEI

New plan for controversial Charlottetown condo development

The plan for a condominium development at Passmore and Chestnut streets is changing.

One building has become two

The lot at the corner of Chestnut Passmore streets in Charlottetown has been sitting empty for over a year since demolition of nine properties. (Natalia Goodwin/CBC )

The plan for a  condominium development at Passmore and Chestnut streets in Charlottetown is changing.

A new plan from developer Phillip O'Halloran was presented to city council Monday night that would put two buildings instead of one on the lot. The original development, which was approved after much controversy, was for a 50-unit building with commercial space in the bottom.

Now the plan to is build a four-storey, 16-unit building on Passmore and a four-storey, 27-unit building on Chestnut. 

"Just talking to the applicant, it was around banking and what kind of money he could borrow to do the project,"  said Coun. Greg Rivard, chair of the planning committee.

"I think that was the main driver behind changing the plans."

Planning committee chair Greg Rivard likes the plan. (Natalia Goodwin/CBC )

The commercial space planned for the bottom has also been axed, in favour of using the space for units. Rivard said he likes the plan.

"I believe it was … a nice alteration to the project, because building that he had proposed and was approved was large, and these will be two smaller units," he said.

Council voted Monday night to send the proposal to a public meeting to hear residents' thoughts. That should happen at the end of September. The project will then have to go through council again for approval.