An opportunity not yet missed

It would have been encouraging to see an architect’s design for a building at 199 Grafton St. that was created specifically for this space (without seven variances) that would embrace the 500 Lots guidelines prepared by the Planning Partnership and adopted by the City of Charlottetown.

The current proposal resembles a stock product, stuffed into a space too small for its size.

An architecturally designed building would respect the height and setback allowances for the area, design principles such as stepping up gradually from adjacent buildings, and potentially incorporate a rejuvenated (sidewalks, lighting, greenspace, trees) Clark Street in its design rather than creating a 70 x 278 foot “wall” only two feet from the property line, etc.

Ideally, any building put on this site within view of Queen’s Square, the centre of the 500 Lots and home to many buildings with grandeur (heritage and newer), would be a building that was creatively designed, exhibited landmark qualities that exemplified what inspired architecture and design can accomplish, and be an outstanding addition to the 500 Lots for the decades that it will be standing there. A project that the owners of the property and the city would both be proud of creating.

Sadly, the building as proposed fails miserably to meet that challenge. That the city closed comments only 15 hours (9 p.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday) after the public consultation meeting on such a significant change to this area and posted minimalist paper notices understandably missed by many local residents suggests a disinterested at best, intentional exclusion at worst, attitude to true public engagement in planning issues.