Steveston Merchants Association proposes solution to waterfront zoning issue

The Steveston Merchants Association is proposing a solution it hopes will end the years-long battle that has led a prime bit of Richmond waterfront to languish unused. 

Onni Group's waterfront development, Imperial Landing, was completed in late summer of 2013 and includes six low rise buildings that feature rental apartments above approximately 60,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. But the land the buildings sit on is zoned maritime-mixed use by the City of Richmond. 

The zoning dispute between the city and the developers means the ground floors of those six buildings are vacant two years later.

Nearby businesses say this has gone on long enough. 

Jim Van Der Tas, president of the Steveston Merchants Association, says the compromise should be 25 per cent retail, 25 per cent mixed maritime use and 50 per cent office space.

"We came up with a compromise that we think works for everybody. Nobody really wins, but nobody loses either," says Van Der Tas.

"We're waiting to see if that comes up again in discussions over the next couple months."

But there are no discussions currently scheduled between the developer and the city.

One Richmond councillor, Harold Steves, had previously said the blame lies with Onni, because the developer was warned it might not be feasible for apartments to be built on top of maritime mixed use, but the company decided to go ahead it with anyway. 

"Can we as council be held hostage by a company or business or person that buys a property, builds under the existing zoning, and then ends up not renting it out for whatever reasons they have?" said Alexa Loo, a Richmond city councillor, on Monday.