Downtown Development

The Canfor Leisure Pool under construction in 2021

Development highlights

Renewing downtown Prince George means tackling all of the city core's infrastructure challenges which include upgrading - or in some cases replacing - above and underground assets. The City has made progress over the years, but much more remains to be done.

Recent upgrades in the area around City Hall include:
- Replacing the old, high-risk-for-failure infrastructure.
- Replacing and re-routing the storm water piping system.
- Re-routing and upgrading the sanitary sewer.
- Installing new sewer lines.
Prince George’s Downtown Renewable Energy System (DRES) uses sawmill residue from Lakeland Mills to provide hot water heat to several downtown buildings, offsetting the use of natural gas.
The latest civic facility to be added to the DRES is the Canfor Leisure Pool.
- Learn more about the Downtown Renewable Energy System
In 2017, residents voted to replace the ageing Four Seasons Leisure Pool with a new aquatic facility. Architecture firm HDR designed the pool and Chandos Construction led constructions efforts. The project also involved a number of local firms who contributed to the project's success.
The Canfor Leisure Pool opened in November 2022.
- Learn more about the Canfor Leisure Pool
The City's newest downtown park opened in August 2019 on 5th Avenue next to the Wood Innovation and Design Centre. Wood innovation square is Prince George's first downtown park to launch since Canada Games Plaza in 1994.
The park features:
- Picnic tables and park benches.
- 25 trees, 500 flowers, and more than 200 shrubs.
- Small stage, lighting, and hook-ups to water and electricity for food trucks, entertainment, and other vendors.
Beautifying the downtown area is an on-going project. Some of the City's efforts include:
- Streetscape improvements on 3rd and 7th Avenues.
- Downtown public art.
- Flowers and banners.
- George and 3rd string lights.
- Replacing and adding new street trees.

The changing face of downtown Prince George

In 2024 the City of Prince George partnered with Downtown Prince George to create a Downtown Strategy to help revitalize the downtown area.

The strategy features development principles and recommendations, and builds on the Smart Growth on the Ground – Downtown Prince George Concept Plan, introduced in 2009 to guide renewal of the city centre.

The goal is to create a sustainable downtown with strong businesses and vibrant neighbourhoods - and progress is already being made.

Current efforts in and around downtown include:

Activating public spaces for gatherings and entertainment
Improvements to parks and trails
Replacing and upgrading aging infrastructure
Beautifying streets with flowers, banners, and public art

Rezoning and the Official Community Plan

The Official Community Plan (OCP) is a statement of objectives and policies that guide decisions on planning and land use management in Prince George. Each property in the city is assigned an OCP designation.

Zoning divides Prince George into 45 standard zones and 10 site-specific zones and regulates, among other things, density, off-street parking and loading spaces, landscaping and screening requirements, and more.

Occasionally, landowners must rezone or amend the OCP to allow for new development or change of use.

The rezoning process changes one zone to another.
An OCP amendment changes a property's OCP designation to another.