Plans to redevelop a harbor are under consideration in Victoria, British Columbia, but would require the relocation of a busy ferry terminal -- one of the harbor's top services. The ferry's operators say the redevelopment would fail without them.
"A $100-million blueprint for redeveloping the Inner Harbour along Belleville Street is calling for a new passenger ferry terminal, a hotel, restoration of the historic CP building that now houses the wax museum and relocation of the MV Coho vehicle and passenger ferry service."
"The Coho, which goes to Port Angeles and has run out of the Inner Harbour since 1959, needs to move to accommodate redevelopment of the area, said the task force that prepared the report."
"The Coho, which requires parking space, consumes a large part of a small site and compromises public use, said the report, called The Vision for Belleville and presented to city council yesterday. The report doesn't offer suggestions for another location."
"Task force member Mohan Jawl said under the terms given - in particular that no provincial money would be available - the inclusion of a Coho terminal would make redevelopment economically unfeasible. He urged Victoria council to understand that the alternative is to do nothing and 'that is not acceptable ... Homeland Security had said they won't tolerate that.'"
