WHARF GREENER

Landscaping and sod work ongoing at Queen’s Wharf in Charlottetown

Landscaping and sod work ongoing at Queen’s Wharf in Charlottetown.

Contractor Island Coastal Ltd. is busy turning the bottom of Queen Street in Charlottetown into green space.

Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) will spend between $50,000 and $70,000 doing landscaping and sod work on the Queen’s Wharf project.

“We’ve had a lot of complaints from people,’’ said Ron Waite, general manager of CADC.

“You’ve got a beautiful area and you come off the boardwalk into broken concrete and pavement and it’s generally a bit of an eyesore.’’

For those still unfamiliar with where this work is taking place, it’s the old coast guard wharf, adjacent to the Delta Hotel and P.E.I. Convention Centre.

“After numerous complaints over it, I spoke to my board.’’

The board recommended the property be sodded and turned into green space. Permission was also sought from the provincial government, which owns the property, and the City of Charlottetown.

CADC worked with Downtown Charlottetown Inc. and came up with the design.

It’s pretty basic stuff, consisting of things like grass, floodlights and a walkway.

Of course, the infamous big red 2017 numbers will be part of the new green space going forward.

Can’t mess with a good thing. Those numbers have proven to be a big hit with Islanders.

Several high school graduation classes have been down to take pictures at the site.

“You wouldn’t believe the number of people that stop to take their photo in front of that 2017 sign. I would say, on average, a slow day would be 50 people stopping there and having their picture taken.’’

Waite said there is a significant sense of urgency on the project.

When CADC put the contract up for bids there was one big stipulation — the work had to be done by Canada Day.

SUBMITTED PHOTO This is an artist’s conceptual drawing of what the Queen’s Wharf property in Charlottetown will look like when finished. Essentially, everything to the right of the traffic circle is being turned into green space and walkways. And, yes, the big red...