The city of Port Alberni’s acquisition of the former Tidebrook Motel property on Gertrude Street is a step toward implementing the city’s Waterfront North Study, said Mayor Mike Ruttan.
“This will complete our land ownership along the north side of Rogers Creek up to Gertrude Street,” said Ruttan.
While Ruttan said there were “no specific plans” for the property at the moment, it was a good time to buy.
“It was a purchase opportunity,” he said, adding that the property was purchased from Jack Purdy.
According to city manager Ken Watson, the property cost the city $195,000. The city forgave $5,144 in back taxes on the property. The purchase was funded equally from the city’s land sale reserve and park land acquisition funds, leaving $77,500 in the land sale reserve and $42,100 in park land acquisitions.
While the city has been buying up property of late (recent purchases included the Jade Restaurant for $293,000 and a derelict property on Fourth Avenue for $40,694 to facilitate Dry Creek flood mitigation), the city will earn some money back for its land sale reserve fund—it is selling an empty lot behind the Alberni Mall for $180,000.
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