Nearly three years after Vancouver's Little Mountain housing development was demolished to make way for a new complex, open houses are being held in an attempt to spark interest in the lagging project.
The social housing development, located on South Main Street next to Queen Elizabeth Park, was destroyed in November 2009 and families were assured they could move into new units once replacements were built.
Alana Zubot, who lived in Little Mountain for eight years, has been waiting ever since for ground to break on a mixed-use development that would include 234 subsidized suites, 1,600 market-priced units, retail stores and a day care.
"We were told from the get-go that it was going to be just a short while -- it was probably close to two years," Zubot said.
"We want to know when they're going to start building and also further details. It doesn't seem like there's enough information for families that are waiting and wondering."
Construction was supposed to start this year, but developer Holborn Properties now says it will begin in 2013 and completion will depend on the market.
"Obviously we want to build and sell as fast as we can, but we can't do that if there's no demand. We don't want to build a bunch of condos that will be empty," CEO Joo Kim Tiah said.
But he's adamant the project will be completed.
"We wouldn't be spending our time and money if we weren't really serious about this project," he said.
The developer won't say how much his company still owes the B.C. government for purchasing the land, but the Ministry of Housing is confident that the project and funding responsibilities are on track.
City councillor Kerry Jang is hopeful that the province is right.
"The fact that it's gone to open house is a good sign," he said.
Open houses are being held on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brock Elementary. For more information, click here.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Lisa Rossington
