Condos planned for former supermarket

Phillip O'Halloran thinks he has a plan to help bring more people to downtown Charlottetown. He wants to build a seven storey condominium building on Richmond Street.

The developer has purchased half of the former Island Food Centre, his part of the l-shaped building does not include the section which fronts Queen Street, one of the main streets in the downtown.

O'Halloran's biggest problem was finding parking for the residents of his building.

The city says the developer can build a pedway between the building and the Pownal Parkade.

"I see great things for this area of downtown. It's full of potential and I look forward to putting a beautiful building there that people can live in comfortably and enjoy," said O'Halloran.

The developer added that he still has to pull together some resources before he applies for a building permit.

City councilors are applauding the plan. Many on council feel the old supermarket building is an eyesore.

"It's great to see developers coming in to our downtown, doing new development and fixing up what's down there now to make room for people to live downtown," said councilor Stu MacFadyen. "And that's what downtown's all about. The more people you have living downtown the more vibrant downtown will be."

O'Halloran's project is one of the first to fall under the city's new density bylaw. Council changed the rules in hopes of attracting the sorts of developments that would bring new residents into the downtown core.