The crusade to place Gospel Rock in the public domain isn’t over, despite the current owner’s lack of interest in selling.
The society For the Love of Gospel Rock (FLGR) is making efforts to convince the owner to sell Block 7 on Gower Point Road to the public for use as communal green space.
According to Royal LePage Sussex realtor Kenan Mackenzie, the owner/owners “haven’t decided what they’re going to do with the property; they’re still thinking of using it for private use. But they’ve made no definitive plans for what they want to do with it.”
But Sharon Danroth, president of FLGR, isn’t deterred. After rewatching video footage of a public hearing for Gospel Rock in 2011, Danroth said she was moved by the passion that hundreds of community members showed in favour of keeping the space public.
“We’re hoping to sway them to understand that the community has wanted this for a park for a long time,” Danroth said. “We want it to be an open and common green space.”
Block 7 was purchased last fall for $3.3 million — roughly half a million under the asking price — by numbered company 1017178 B.C. Ltd.
A land title search revealed this company to be based out of a residential address in West Vancouver.
“It’s in a company’s name, but it’s a private buyer,” said MacKenzie, who originally sold the property. “They don’t want to be bothered by anybody, that’s why they’re trying to keep themselves anonymous.”
The address led back to Antonietta Maria Laudisio, whom Danroth said was “sole director of that company.”
When asked directly if he was involved in the purchase of Gospel Rock, Laudisio’s husband Mario had no comment, saying only, “I really don’t think I’d like to discuss that at this point.”
Mario and Anna Laudisio have made a name for themselves in recent years as owners of “one of Vancouver’s seven worst hotels,” as reported by the Vancouver Courier in 2009. The couple own and manage at least three hotels in the Downtown Eastside, the Brandiz, Powell Rooms and the Lucky Lodge.