A prominent northern B.C. business is working on basing its operations in downtown Prince George in an effort to revitalize the neighbourhood.
BID Group CEO Brian Fehr confirmed the Vanderhoof-based company has purchased the Canada Post building on Fifth Avenue.
"...we are committed to helping the downtown core and will make the post office building our northern B.C. headquarters, and fix that property into a very nice place to work," Fehr said in an e-mail.
"We have many options that are less expensive in [an] industrial park, [but] this was just about doing the right thing for P.G. David and I are passionate about supporting the communities we make a living in."
Realtor David Black confirmed a deal was in the works for the building.
"We have an accepted offer," Black said. "We still have subjects to wade through, so it could be sold or it could be back on the market."
According to the real estate listing for the building, the federal government's asking price was $1.25 million. A City of Prince George property information report listed the 2011 assessed value of the building at $1.05 million.
A B.C. Assessment owner location report shows Public Works and Government Services Canada as the sole owner of the building.
A spokesman for the federal government branch could not comment on the deal, or what will happen to the Canada Post office located on the main floor, as of press time.
The two-story, reinforced concrete building was built in 1953 by the federal government, the real estate listing said. Canada Post was interested in negotiating a lease for the use of the main floor of the building, the ad said.
The upper floors are currently empty and are used by the Prince George RCMP emergency response team for urban combat training. The building used to house the North District RCMP headquarters.
The BID Group of Companies includes Prince George-based Del-Tech Engineering, Northwest Wood Preservers and Northwest Equipment Rentals. The company also operates BID Construction, Nechako Construction, Vanderhoof Specialty Wood Products and Nechako Mechanical in Vanderhoof and Uneeda Wood Products in Chilliwack.
BID Group communications manager Carla Johnston could not comment on the company's plans for the building as of press time.
