City officials have managed to hammer out land deals with all but one residential property for the west leg of the LRT with the deadline for takeover looming.
Sarah Quayle, project lead for the city’s west LRT expropriation efforts, said of the five of 27 owners that spurned city offers in January, only two living in a single duplex remain outstanding and could wind up in front of the province’s Land Compensation Board.
Meanwhile, of 18 commercial properties only three have deals in place.
“We can still work out a deal any time before it goes to the Land Compensation Board,” said Quayle, noting the city will take possession of any properties that haven’t worked out an agreement on June 30.
“Any one still on the property will have to vacate — it won’t delay construction.”
Quayle added the remaining residential and commercial owners will begin receiving compensation cheques at the end of this month and would have up to a year from when the first one arrives to appeal the city’s final offer.
The $716-million project is slated to begin construction early in 2010.
