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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 21, 2005
MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Rohde, Director of Economic & Strategic Development
TEL: 604-469-4505
PORT MOODY – The City of Port Moody has narrowed its choice to two potential groups in its search for a partner to operate a fine dining restaurant in Rocky Point Park.
Planned to be built in an area that is currently paved, the restaurant would become a significant attraction in the park. The area selected by the Parks & Recreation Commission and endorsed by Council is setback about 50 metres (150 feet) from the boat launch and the pier so it will not obstruct views. The site is located along the western side of the existing pay parking lot.
Residents and visitors alike have long expressed a desire for a restaurant with both an interior dining room and outdoor seating in Rocky Point Park. This would complement the existing Pajo’s and Rocky Point ice cream concessions. In developing their request for proposals, city planners referred to models in place in other parks such as the Teahouse in Stanley Park and Seasons in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Earlier this year major restaurant operators responded with extensive submissions and made public presentations at council meetings in June and July. The proposals were analyzed in detail and assessed in terms of how well they respond to community needs. The business aspects of the proposals were also scrutinized by legal and real estate consultants.
Port Moody is now pursuing negotiations with the groups who submitted the best proposals.
- A local restaurant operator, the Flying Fish Market and Grill on St. Johns Street, submitted a proposal for a custom-designed one storey structure with a green roof that would stretch along the edge of the water. The elegant building would include a covered rooftop dining area and a public viewing platform.
- The Spectra Group, operators of five Boathouse locations and other restaurants in the Lower Mainland, proposed a heavy timber and stone structure with a distinctly West Coast look. The restaurant would include casual and formal indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio on the waterfront.
Both restaurants comply with the city’s requirement to preserve a continuous waterfront pathway for use by the public. Both are based on a long term lease where the city retains ownership of its precious waterfront land for future generations.
Explaining the delays in arriving at a decision Mayor Trasolini stated: “First and foremost we have to protect the taxpayers’ interests in this project. We are now taking the prudent step of negotiating the fine details before making any commitment.”
Negotiations with the two groups are expected to unfold over the next month. Once the city has selected the best proposal based on the best restaurant design and the most advantageous business terms, the project will still have to go through all normal development review and approval processes. Construction would not likely start until mid 2006. | 
