One of this columnist's first real estate stories was a 1996 feature for the Fredericton Daily Gleaner that examined issues associated with the discovery of remnants from an ancient Maliseet settlement on the banks of the Jemseg River in New Brunswick.
While archeaologists were keen to excavate the site prior to construction of a new highway, local First Nations objected strongly. The site was sacred to their ancestors, and in turn, themselves. Andrea Bear Nicholas, chairwoman of the Native Studies program at St. Thomas University, remarked: "If one abuses the land, one abuses us."
The lesson was clear: any development planned for such a site needed to respect the site's importance as a cultural point of reference for local First Nations.
Alas, it's a lesson still being learned on the West Coast, where excavations for Century Group's planned 108-unit HQ condo development at Montcalm Street and Southwest Marine Drive has disturbed Musqueam graves.
Owned by Gary and Fran Hackett, the site is on the edge of the Marpole midden. The midden was recognized as a national historic site in 1933, being one of the largest and best-preserved middens on the West Coast. Workers have dug up the remains of one adult and at least two infants this year, indicating that the site is a previously undisturbed part of the midden.
Complicating matters, the project's disclosure documents did not inform purchasers – many from overseas – that the midden might be anything more than an archeaological site. The remains confirm that it is, raising the prospect of cold feet among buyers.
"The public's just not real big on digging up graves, particularly infant remains. They have some problem with that," said Ken McGregor, manager for the Musqueam Indian Band.
While the band owns the nearby Fraser Arms Hotel, itself being transformed, McGregor said the band's ownership of the hotel is intended to safeguard the midden.
To protect the portion of the site jeopardized by Century Group's plans, the Musqueam are willing to pledge settlements being negotiated with the province to the city, if the city will provide the developer with an alternative site for development.
"We're willing to put in things that the province owes us in order to satisfy this developer so that he can be made whole, or he can move to another site," McGregor said.
Discussions regarding the arrangement began with the province last week.
Century Group president Sean Hodgins was not available for comment prior to deadline.
City objections to a mix of uses on the site of Canfor Corp.'s former Silvertree mill at the foot of Heather Street have prompted Concert Properties Ltd.to sell the 21-acre property.
"We thought it could be a mix of industrial and office, and possibly even some more affordable residential," said Brian McCauley, president of Concert. "The city wasn't keen on doing that."
During negotiations for a three-acre property at Quebec and East 1st Avenue that Concert acquired from TransLink last year, TransLink expressed an interest in the Silvertree site.
"TransLink approached us about a need they had, so we ended up doing a deal," McCauley said.
TransLink said at the time that the sale to Concert would enable it to acquire a site for its new small-fleet centre. The transit operator was unable to comment last week on the latest deal, which is set to close at the end of this month.
Concert bought the Silvertree site in early 2007.
The folks at Avison Young are optimistic about interest in Oxford Properties Group's national portfolio of data centres, which includes four properties in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, but there's been less interest in another property in the same vicinity – 5 East 8th Avenue.
The bunker-like building was built expressly for the province's gang-busting Co-ordinated Law Enforcement Unit until purchased by the Vancouver Police Department in 2000 for its investigative services division. When the Vancouver force consolidated its offices at 3585 Graveley Street (former home of VANOC) earlier this year, the city moved to sell 5 East 8th.
The assessed value of the 33,000-square-foot property is $8.9 million.
But an initial tender this spring garnered just four or five offers, said Nancy Eng, the city's communications co-ordinator. She was unable to disclose the sectors showing an interest in the property, which is zoned for light industrial uses.
Eng said the property remains available for lease or sale. Because the property was formerly used for offices, Eng said the building would not require a major retrofit to meet the requirements of a new occupant.
