Construction underway at development on Passmore Street

Construction is underway on the site of a controversial condo development on Passmore Street in Charlottetown.

City officials say building expected to be complete by late summer

Brittany Spencer · CBC News · Posted: May 01, 2018 7:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 2, 2018

The developer has been trying to build on Chestnut and Passmore streets since 2015. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)

Construction is underway on the site of a controversial development on Passmore Street in Charlottetown.

New plan for controversial Charlottetown condo development

Developer Phillip O'Halloran has been trying to build properties on Chestnut and Passmore streets since 2015, a process that involved the demolition of eight buildings in the area.

After the development properties sat vacant for over a year, construction of a 16-unit apartment building has begun on Passmore Street.

The development process involved demolishing eight buildings in the area and after the bulldozed lot sat vacant for over a year, construction of a 16-unit condo has begun on Passmore Street. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)

Coun. Greg Rivard, chair of planning and heritage for the City of Charlottetown said the developer began laying the foundation for the building last winter and expects work to be complete by late summer.

"I think it's going to be beautiful," Rivard said. "To see progress on what is such a need for Charlottetown right now with apartment units, I mean it's a great thing to see, especially in the downtown area."

From 1 building to 2

The original plan for the properties was to build one 57-unit condo building with commercial space on the bottom. That plan was approved in May of 2016, but not before some push back from the community.

Residents concerned about vacant lot on Passmore street

Land involved in controversial Charlottetown development up for sale

The project was eventually approved for two four-storey buildings. One a 27-unit building on Chestnut Street and the other, a 16-unit building on Passmore Street, which will house a mixture of one- and two-bedroom units.

Rivard said that according to the developer, construction on the building on Chestnut Street could begin this fall.

'To see progress on what is such a need for Charlottetown right now with apartment units, I mean it's a great thing to see, especially in the downtown area,' says Greg Rivard, chair of planning and heritage for the City of Charlottetown. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)

"He's hoping that once the first building is complete [in] late summer, he's hoping to start on the second probably in the early fall, if possible," Rivard said.

Rivard said the City is pleased to see progress on the development site. He said until last winter, the bulldozed properties sat vacant since 2016, raising safety concerns among residents in the area.

"The complaint at the time was really around the water that was building up in the hole that was left after the demolition was done," Rivard said.

Rivard says the developer expects the project to be complete by late summer and hopes to begin construction on a second, larger condo building on Chestnut Street by the fall. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)

"The developer at the time was notified, filled it all in and eliminated that problem and now, of course, we see the construction start," he added.

In December 2017, some of the land meant for the condo development was also up for sale. The property was listed at 55 Chestnut Street, with an asking price of $1,586,000. The CBC was unable to determine if the property is still on the market.

Meeting housing needs

Rivard said there are 820 units approved for construction in 2018 and the building on Passmore Street is just one of the developments he hopes will help satisfy housing needs in the Charlottetown market.