Prince Edward Island's capital budget laid out plans Friday to spend $500 million over the next five years to build infrastructure and stimulate the economy — but it said very little about three big projects.

There was no mention at all of a proposed $20-million convention centre for the Charlottetown waterfront, something Premier Robert Ghiz has called a priority.

There was just a vague reference to a long-sought provincial museum, and the budget allocated only half the money needed to build the new BioCommons park.

Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan said Monday the federal government is already studying the costs of moving the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to make a site available for the convention centre, and negotiations are ongoing.

"There is certainly nothing finalized. There are talks ongoing, a lot of negotations between the partners and the viability of the project and the key part of this is that the partners all have to come together," Sheridan said.

He said the province is looking to Ottawa to cover half the costs through the Build Canada fund.

Millions needed

About $30 million is needed for the Prince Edward Island BioCommons, a bioscience research and development park. The province spent $3 million this year acquiring the Upton Farm land, but Sheridan allocated only $12 million more to the project in the budget.

The government is hoping the rest comes from the National Research Council, he said, which would expand onto the site.

"I think that could very much be the case. I don't know the details on it, but I know there are a number of research groups over at the university who are trying to bring their work to fruition," Sheridan said.

Then there is the long-awaited provincial museum. A favoured site is the old Dominion Building, which will soon go up for sale.

Sheridan said he hopes to leverage money from Ottawa and the other provinces by linking the museum to 2014, and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown conference that led to Confederation.

"We're looking to the other partners of Confederation, and to say, the birthplace (of Canada) is here in Charlottetown and what would we do to celebrate that wonderful time and the partners working with us to do something special? And that would be a provincial museum," he said.

The three projects are all very large and expensive, Sheridan said, and there are still a lot of details to be worked out before any of them can go ahead.