New Steveston bar "taking shape"

Some signage erected at a yet-to-be-opened bar at Steveston’s controversial Imperial Landing site is piquing the interest of locals.

Richmond social media platforms are abuzz with anticipation over the opening of the Colony Bar at the riverside location.

Owned by the Colony Restaurant Group – which operates three large bar/restaurants in Vancouver and one in North Vancouver – the bar put some window signage up recently at Imperial Landing.

The Richmond News reached out to the company to find out when the bar was opening, but the company was non-committal about a date, mentioning that interior construction was still taking place.

A spokesperson for the group did say that the bar was “taking shape” and more information was likely coming out later this month.

The News reported last November how leased signs finally popped up on most of the remaining vacant commercial spaces at the waterfront location.

Imperial Landing developer Onni told the News about some of the new businesses that will soon open their doors at the site, which has been the centre of a rezoning controversy over the last decade.

According to Onni, it had signed lease agreements with the likes of Goodlife Fitness, one of Canada’s largest fitness club chains.

And as well as the Colony Bar, a Thai restaurant called “Bann Lao” will also occupy one of the units.

A spokesperson for Onni confirmed last fall that it has started work on its waterfront hotel, which it hopes to open in late spring or early summer 2020.

After more than 10 years of battling with the City of Richmond and Steveston residents, Onni agreed to a deal with the city last June.

Onni agreed to pay $5.5 million to the city in exchange for rezoning six commercial buildings on the waterfront, which were originally supposed to be for marine mixed use. The money was earmarked for Steveston Community Centre.

Not everyone on city council was happy with the rezoning in the summer, including Coun. Kelly Greene, who called the move a “travesty.”

She pointed out that the mixed maritime use was supposed to be the city’s compensation for the development, which is on the old BC Packers site.

The zoning amendments added several types of use to the six Imperial Landing buildings - health service, hotel, recreation, restaurant, retail and financial service - and removed boarding and lodging, community care facility and home business.

Since 1998, the city had contemplated its vision for the waterfront site of BC Packers.

About half the site, to the east, became condos and a waterfront park, while the other half sat empty until 2012 when Onni built six buildings under maritime-industrial zoning, which was intended for servicing the Village’s marine industry. However, the buildings were built to also accommodate commercial uses.

Since 2013, the developer had failed to lease the space for maritime use and hence the buildings sat empty.