The Future of Harbourview Lands

The Vision

The City of Port Alberni is dedicated to building and maintaining a vibrant, healthy community and to revitalizing the economy through investments, improvements and strategic land use decisions.

The city’s revitalization is an opportunity to re-think and re-imagine what Port Alberni could be. It’s about redefining our expectations and exploring our desires to change and adapt. It’s about moving beyond the status quo and making strategic decisions when the right opportunities present themselves.

The Opportunity

The City of Port Alberni is receiving an increasing number of inquiries from people interested in developing two neighbouring city-owned lots, generally known as the Harbourview lands, located at 5350 Argyle Street and 3050 Kingsway Avenue.

The lots, which when combined are approximately 0.876 hectares (2.166 acres), currently consist of a gravel parking area, a grass and treed area and a public laneway. While this may not sound glamorous, the lots boast sweeping views of the Alberni Inlet and are located between two desirable areas, Harbour Quay and the Uptown Arts District.

The Current Zoning

Both lots are zoned C7 – Core Business. The purpose of this zone is “to establish and maintain vibrant mixed-use commercial core areas, with attention to providing goods and services to residents, the traveling public and tourists.” City of Port Alberni Zoning Bylaw, 2014.

Update

In a May decision made by Council, the treed portion of the land fronting Argyle Street will be retained by the City in an effort to keep the trees intact for future generations. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for the remaining portions of land has been issued and is open until Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 4:00 pm local time. To view the RFP, check out the Document Library.