Vancouver developer Howard Meakin hopes to "kick-start" waterfront development in Mission with a restaurant, marina and floatplane dock.
Meakin's Sturgeon's on the Fraser restaurant complex would include the Friendship 500 barge that held McDonald's during Expo '86. The 8,500-square-foot concrete-and-steel structure would accommodate three restaurants and a floatplane base with service to Victoria and Nanaimo. It could also act as a base for recreational boaters and commercial Fraser River boat tours.
Meakin, who applied for rezoning and a development permit from the District of Mission last month, said the project could create nearly 100 jobs and draw about 500,000 visitors annually. He also said that all three restaurants would be flagged by well-known names. The new bid is a revision of an earlier presentation this spring.
"It would kick-start the development of the Mission waterfront, which has been debated for years," Meakin commented.
A separate parcel of land above the Meakin-owned waterfront site could provide extra parking, he added.
"We envision Sturgeon's on the Fraser to rival the combined head counts of the Fort Langley historical site, Minter Gardens and Hell's Gate Tramway within the first two years of operations," said Meakin, who made the presentation along with architect David Eaton.
Will he get approval? "I have no idea," a pragmatic Meakin said. "What do you think?"
From Western Investor, September 2010
