Two lots in Cow Bay will not be developed as planned, according to the City of Prince Rupert.
Currently public parking, the lots were to be sold by the city to an undisclosed private developer for $154,000
According to the city, the unnamed developer has pulled out and will not be buying the land, leaving the lots empty.
Ongoing construction for the public parking lot, including seven or more parking spaces built from work being done on First Ave, will continue on the land, according to the city.
Initial news of the sale in late June was greeted with scorn by business owners in the area, who said the parking lot was essential for their businesses.
They also did not like the city’s plan to develop a temporary parking lot on land between Cow Bay and Rushbrook saying it was too far away.
Breakers’ Pub owner Ted Sylvester was among those disgruntled by the city’s decision. While Sylvester is happy the development isn’t going through, he’s confused at how private the city has been with the deal.
“We’re not even sure what the development was, everything was so secret,” he said. “It’s really hard to be against something when you don’t even know what it is.”
READ MORE: Cow Bay merchants upset by partial sale of parking lot