By Doreen Marion Gee

Picture this scene: It is a golden afternoon. The grass on a large farm is lit by the sun and gently moving in the ocean breeze. A young Emily Carr and her family are tending to the fields on a tract of land upon which now sits a building with the artist's name on it. Emily Carr's family were the original owners of the land underneath the apartment complex at 200 Douglas Street. Built in 1950, the Emily Carr Apartments are a picturesque reminder of days long past. According to Bill Huot, a long - time resident, the 24-unit building is "well-designed" and solid. Now, it has been purchased by Dallas Point Developments Ltd., represented by Dennis Nyren who believes that the building "is at the end of its economic life." Nyren wants to redevelop the property that he bought in January 2007 and build a 68-unit condominium complex. This is causing concern to the present tenants living with uncertainty about their future and that of the building.

Huot is exuberant and animated as he talks about the building he has lived in for fourteen years: "It is a good building. I respect it and I might even love it" he says. Huot says that it is difficult to deal with the uncertainty of living in a building that could be demolished at any time. He feels that it is causing disruption in people's lives "for no good reason." Huot agrees that there may eventually need to be more development at his location, although that should never result in a loss of rental housing. However, his beef is with the way it is happening. According to Huot, the building has been allowed to steadily deteriorate since last January. That is the most distressing factor for him. He wonders if it is the same tactic used back in the sixties where buildings were allowed to decline to justify tearing them down.

Laura Beaubien used to live at the Emily Carr but moved out last month. Beaubien tells me that a major reason she left was because the building had gone downhill. In a sad voice, she says that she did not want to move out of a building that had been a "wonderful place" for seven years. Joe Percival, a tenant, wishes that City Hall would provide more protection to tenants and say 'No' to the loss of affordable housing around the city.

Dennis Nyren wants to convert the building to a multi-storied condo complex. Nyren says that he does understand how the uncertainty is hard on the residents and he is concerned about their situation. At a JBNA meeting, Nyren said that Devon Properties will help to find residents new housing when the new construction starts. He promises to give tenants a month of free rent when they leave. Even though he is only required to give tenants two months notice to vacate, he states that he is willing to make that four to six months so people have enough time to find an apartment. When I asked him if he would have any subsidized units in the new building that present tenants could afford, he said that would gladly do it if our government was willing to fund low-cost rentals.

He says that he is maintaining the building and is putting in new security lights and locks. When I mentioned that I had observed a broken washing machine in the laundry room, Nyren said that he is looking into leasing another machine to replace it.

It is promising that Nyren has been involved in providing subsidized housing to needy individuals. His company bought the land and built the new Parry Street complex that will provide subsidized assisted housing for seniors.

It is a real challenge to get people together when the interests of a developer conflict with the interests of residents. But as Bill Huot notes, "It is not too late" to get it all resolved in a reasonable manner.

And if Emily Carr is listening, she would probably agree.