In the minutes from the public meetings last week, several residents are recorded as having said that the property owner is trying to make a profit by redeveloping his property. I think it’s fairly safe to brand this a truism. Seems to me, it would be abnormal for anyone to put large sums of their credibility and future lifestyle at risk without the hope that they will make a profit. Almost nobody constructs buildings with purely altruistic motives, just the same as almost no businesses create or sell things for no other reason than the good of the community.
When I judge a project, I’m not too concerned about whether or not the owner will profit from the venture – I assume they will, and I hope they will. I would like everyone who invests in any business that offers opportunities for improved quality of life in White Rock to be successful and make money. I hope they make lots of money. I expect that their success will attract other investors. By illustrating a positive pattern of success, we can demonstrate that businesses making our city more attractive, comfortable and safer are welcome and rewarded for their efforts.
The question then is not whether or not the project will be profitable, but rather, whether it will bring an improvement to the neighbourhood or community. Sometimes, the challenge is to weigh any potential negative impacts against the benefits. That’s the question that the debate should focus on. Is it reasonable and rational to conclude that the good being offered is enough to make up for any bad that we might have to live with?