Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from BC Housing.
The provincial government has backed away from a controversial plan to make the old Spee-Dee Stationers building the new home of Prince George's social assistance office.
Instead, it will be "trading locations" with BC Housing, whose offices are currently in a city-owned spot at the corner of Second Avenue and Brunswick Street - beneath the Second Avenue parkade and across Brunswick Street from the Downtown Prince George office.
The social assistance office is currently located in Kandola Plaza at 1445 10th Ave.
"These locations are better suited to each of the respective offices’ needs," a BC Housing spokesperson said in an email to the Citizen. "BC Housing took possession of the building Feb. 1. Some renovations are needed, and hopefully the move will be fully completed by summer."
A campaign to prevent the office from being moved to the Spee-Dee building at Brunswick Street and Fifth Avenue dates back to February 2020 when a 68-signature petition from the Prince George and District Senior Citizens Activity Centre appeared in the city council agenda package.
The centre is located a half-block away from the spot and concerns were raised about parking, foot traffic and safety.
Because the site is already zoned for the use, the proposal did not have to go through a public hearing and the best city council could do was to seek a meeting with ministry officials.
Downtown Prince George also opposed the move. In March 2022, it issued a media release outlining its concerns.
"The proposed new location is in very close proximity to a daycare, a senior centre, a church, service-based businesses, and other community retail," the organization said, and went on to say meaningful consultation was not conducted prior to the decision.
In a statement to the Citizen sent earlier this week, Citizen Services Minister Lisa Beare said the ministry, which manages government-owned and leased real estate, buildings and office space, is now "exploring a plan" to lease the premises at 1380 Second Ave. from the city on a long-term basis for use as a front-facing Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction office.
The step was taken after "hearing feedback from the community."
Beare went on to say that DPG has provided a letter supporting the change.
"This will ensure that critical social supports and services will continue to be delivered to the people the community who need them the most," Beare said.
Reached Monday, DPG executive director Colleen Van Mook said that although many other suggestions were raised during consultations on the matter, DPG decided it could "could accept" Second and Brunswick as the new location.
She said the provincial government made it clear it wanted a location downtown and that the willingness to at least relocate to the "outer layer" as opposed to right in the middle "where there is still potential for retail and we have the daycare and the seniors centre" was an acceptable compromise.
