A small group met Thursday at Sadat’s Cuisine, asking that council give them more than two months to find new homes.
The meeting was called after news came out Wednesday that the city’s planning board has recommended that Holland College’s application for a new 81-room residence be approved. City council is set to vote on the issue at its meeting Monday night.
“Two months is not enough (time),’’ said Madan Kumar Giri, who lives in one of the buildings Holland College wants to purchase and demolish to make way for the new residence.
May 2 has been set as the date to issue a 60-day notice for residential tenants.
Seven buildings would come down in total, affecting two businesses – Sadat’s and an Asian grocery store – as well as low-income apartment buildings housing 17 residents, some of whom have already moved on.
“Most of the tenants are worried about how they are going to get an affordable apartment,’’ Kumar Giri said. “Most of the tenants living in this property can’t afford high rent. The reason they’re living here is they can’t afford the other rental apartments in town because they are really expensive.’’
Restauranteur Said Sadat said he has worked hard to get to where he is on the corner of Cumberland and Grafton streets.
RELATED: Holland College plans new 80-bed residence on Grafton Street in Charlottetown
In a twist of irony, Sadat used the money he’s made to pay the tuition for his four children at Holland College.
“I will lose my business; I will lose my investment. I never expected this,’’ Sadat said, noting that he put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into fixing up the place before opening it three years ago.
Sadat said if his business is forced to close he’s out of options.
“That’s it. If I lose this restaurant, I’ll go bankrupt. Without a job, my wife, my kids . . . I don’t know what happens next.’’
The group sent a letter to planning board explaining that the college owns other pieces of land and that maybe one of them could serve as the home of a new residence.
Others at the meeting believe the city should develop a plan for affordable housing first and then make a decision on this application.
Another person said apartments should be found for people before the college is allowed to take down the buildings.
At a glance
WHAT: A decision on Holland College’s proposed student residence will be made at Monday’s meeting of Charlottetown city council.
HISTORY: Holland College moved in March to acquire seven properties to build a new dorm for the purpose of building an 81-bed, $6.96-million residence as part of the Prince of Wales campus. It will have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment-style units, similar to that of Glendenning Hall, the college’s 186-bed residence located on the other side of Grafton Street.
IMPACT: The affected buildings are the Asian Market, the white house next to it and Sadat’s on Grafton Street and some apartment buildings on Cumberland Street.
COUNCIL: “The application came to planning board after the public meeting and planning board deliberated and their recommendation to council was to approve the project in its totality, said Coun. Greg Rivard, chairman of the planning committee.
