Gibsons Park Plaza is poised for a substantial facelift and redesign in the coming years, if property owner Wesbild Holdings Ltd.'s plans pan out.
Architects representing Wesbild presented some concept drawings to the Town of Gibsons planning and development committee Tuesday morning, April 13, that depict the plaza with its proposed new look.
That look features new facades on the existing storefronts incorporating a blend of different materials and designs including more sloped roofs, gables and natural materials.
"This is a good example of the evolution of the architecture -more vernacular architecture, more diverse architecture. We are trying to create a sense of place as opposed to one generic long building," said Barry Weih, principle architect on the project dubbed Sunshine Coast Central. "It's really like a streetscape."
Under the proposed plan, existing tenants will be able to stay open while the work is done in phases, according to Tom Sroufe, Wesbild's senior vice-president of shopping centres.
Sroufe said about 95 per cent of the original building materials remain and compared the project to "recycling buildings."
There is some demolition scheduled for the northwest corner where Liquidation World currently sits, and a second storey for office space will be added to the remaining portion of the building.
Sroufe said he is in talks with a number of potential tenants to take over the 15,000 square foot space, including Liquidation World, but no deal has been reached yet.
"It is not a WalMart," he said in a later interview.
Also included in the plans are a reduction in the number of parking spaces in favour of a more pedestrian-friendly layout with wider sidewalks and more landscaping.
As part of the ongoing changes, Wesbild will eventually be asking for a slight realignment of Venture Way to meet the plaza's parking lot exit, and the redevelopment will mean relocation of the Sunshine Coast Regional District's recycling depot to the other side of the building.
Wesbild has not yet applied for any building permits, but Sroufe said if all goes well, work on the redevelopment should begin by the end of this year with the first portions of the work being completed in mid-2011. The entire project should be completed by the end of 2011.
The concept drawings struck a clear note with virtually the entire planning committee. Mayor Barry Janyk said the designs were a big improvement on Wesbild's 2006 proposal.
"You guys clearly got a message that we're trying to do some things a little bit differently," Janyk said. "It is our intention to help you to succeed. We have no intention of you making a huge investment in this community only to have the thing wither Thank you for recognizing the values that this community holds dear. I think this is going to bode very well for the future."
