After a decade of ground preparation, it was lift-off for the George Tuesday night as council, in a unanimous vote, approved the controversial hotel and condominium development for Gibsons Harbour.
Despite the pledge of every member of council in last year’s municipal election to negotiate the height of the George, the essential form and character of the two mid-rise towers remained unchanged in the final design – a testimony to the perseverance of developer Klaus Fuerniss and the determination of council to embrace his vision for the Gibsons waterfront in the face of intense opposition.
There was, however, modest movement on height. Last year, when even Mayor Wayne Rowe said the height of the George would be subject to negotiation, the hotel measured 36 metres at its highest elevation on the waterfront side, with the condo block measuring 30 metres at its highest point.
The latest numbers have the hotel at 31.44 metres at its highest point and the condo
block at just over 25 metres. That’s about a 15-foot drop in the hotel’s height and slightly more for the condo tower. In addition, the George floor plan had to be compressed to allow the foundation to be lifted in order to protect the aquifer.
So there were concessions. And though clearly it wasn’t enough to satisfy the opponents who fought to the bitter end to stop the project, the fact is, the majority of written submissions to council – 400 of some 575 – wanted the George to proceed in its current design. As in the election, the majority has spoken.
Due to its scale, the George can be a real game-changer for Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast. It will mean much-needed jobs, spinoffs and tax revenue. It will add vitality to a long-neglected area of the Landing and open up the region to new classes of visitors, from international travellers to business and professional groups seeking a getaway from the Lower Mainland.
For Gibsons, it doesn’t get much bigger than the George. Council has made a truly monumental decision.
