Mayor Wayne Wright believes that a piece of New Westminster's waterfront that's up for sale would fit in with the Experience the Fraser plans.
In October, NAI Commercial Real Estate listed five lots on Front Street at the foot of McBride Boulevard that were once home to the Royal City Canners. The property includes a 330-foot strip of land along Front Street and one acre of water-lease area.
"I have taken it to Metro Vancouver already," Wright said. "As soon as we found out, I took it to Metro Vancouver. I haven't spoken to them since but I will."
Metro Vancouver's website describes Experience the Fraser as a unique vision for showcasing, packaging and interpreting existing as well as enhancing, developing and linking new natural, cultural, heritage and recreation amenities along the Lower Fraser River. Experience the Fraser will connect communities from Hope to the Salish Sea.
"The people in Victoria and Ottawa, when they see how far we have gone in two years, they are amazed," Wright said. "New Westminster is one of the centrepieces because of what we have got here already and the history. The plan is to make a major tourist attraction for the world. There is nothing like it on the West Coast."
The province of British Columbia provided the Fraser River Regional District and Metro Vancouver with $2.5 million to develop a comprehensive concept plan by the fall of 2011 and to implement two demonstration projects.
"People everywhere will be inspired to become more active stewards on behalf of the river," stated Metro Vancouver's website. "The Lower Fraser River will be showcased and promoted as one of the world's great river destinations."
The owners of the Royal City Canners property are asking $950,000 for the five lots. Most of the land is under the Fraser River and land access is almost nil, so it's suspected that potential buyers will likely be interested in river-based industry or transportation.
Real estate agent Gary Haukland said the owners would also be eager to sell or swap lands with either the City of New Westminster or Metro Vancouver, both of which own adjacent greenway lands and may want the land to increase trail connectivity along the Fraser. He told The Record that the market will determine what the land is worth.
