SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The City of Summerside is looking at potential uses for a vacant property it owns on the waterfront.
Locally known as Hippenstall's Corner, the empty lot is on the opposite side of Water Street from Green's Shore.
Summerside's Department of Economic Development recently issued a request for qualifications for the property, though it is referring to it as the Summerside West Lands.
Coun. Brian McFeely, chairman of the city's economic development committee, explained that a request for qualifications is a process by which interested parties submit preliminary project ideas.
"We're just kind of exploring what the interest may be around it," said McFeely.
"This is just kind of, for lack of a better term, testing the waters."
If there is a positive response from developers, the city may conduct a follow-up process later and ask for more detailed formal proposals.
"We may get no responses back, and that answers the question. But if we do get some, then the next step would be to drill down a little bit further and explore those interests and the wherewithal for developers to carry them through," added McFeely.
"We may get no responses back, and that answers the question. But if we do get some, then the next step would be to drill down a little bit further and explore those interests and the wherewithal for developers to carry them through."
- Coun. Brian McFeely
The city gained full ownership of the land in early 2019 as part of the dissolution of the former Summerside Regional Development Corporation (SRDC). The city had owned shares of that corporation and opted to take some of the lands it had owned as part of its buyout package.
Interested parties have until April 17 at 4 p.m. to submit a proposal to Mike Thususka, the city's director of economic development, at [email protected].
In 2017, the previous city council turned down a request by the SRDC to rezone to the property, as a potential developer was interested in building a high-density residential complex there.
Council at that time sided with nearby residents who opposed the project for a variety of reasons.
