False Creek North is about to look a whole lot different

Good morning,

You keep reading these newsletters but I fee like I barely know any of you!

Reply to this email with your neighbourhood where your live and one thing you love about it - it could be your favourite restaurant, a cool park, really anything! I’ll feature the best answers in the next newsletter.

As someone who walked my dog constantly in the area, I’m very excited about the new development in False Creek North. Plus we’ve also got a story on the end of the Stanley Park bike lane and a transit (funding) emergency.

Let’s get to it!

— Geoff Sharpe

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WEATHER

Monday: 6 🌡️ 3 | ⛅

Tuesday: 6 🌡️ 3 | 🌧

Wednesday: 7 🌡️ -3 | 🌧

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

$20 billion: How much the Mayors’ Council needs to fund their 10-year transit plan in Metro Vancouver. [Vancouver Sun]

1%: Metro Vancouver has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions this much, even though their target is 45 percent by 2030. [Vancouver Sun]

HOUSING

Big housing project gets the go-ahead

Downtown Vancouver’s waterfront will look much different in the coming years.

What happened: The City of Vancouver and Concord Pacific have announced an agreement to create more affordable housing in False Creek, according to Storeys. The project will create 650 units of affordable, non-market housing.

How it works: Concord Pacific owns six properties along the waterfront. The city has the right to purchase the land. Under the agreement, the city will receive three properties, along with $110 million in cash to fund the development of a street network and remove the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, according to Vancouver is Awesome. With that agreement, Concord Pacific will be allowed to develop the three remaining properties.

• The city’s properties are located at 990 Beatty St., 1050 Expo Blvd. and 450 Pacific St. You can read more about the False Creek North Official Development Plan here.

A new childcare facility and fire hall will also be built as part of the development.

Other changes: The funding will likely be used to fund the removal of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts. But this is nowhere near enough, according to Urbanized. A report in 2018 indicated that demolishing the viaducts would cost $360 million, and that was if demolition began in 2020.

Timeline: Consultations are being held in the coming weeks and you can also share your comments online. Council will then consider bylaw amendments, followed by public hearings in July. Construction could begin as early as 2025, according to Storeys.

CITY HALL

Hey, I’m biking here!

Movie lovers will appreciate today’s headline. Bikers? Not so much.

What happened: The Parks Board officially voted to remove the Stanley Park temporary bike lanes, though some areas will remain due to safety concerns, including Brockton Point and Lumberman’s Arch, according to the Vancouver Sun.

• Three options were debated, which included retaining many of the separated lanes. Council eventually chose option C, pictured above, which removed most of the lanes. For more details on the options, read the Global News story.

The debate pitted businesses in Stanley Park, who saw a drop in revenue, against cyclists, who wished to maintain the bike lane.

The data: Back in March 2021, the Parks Board was presented with data showing a large increase in cycling usage throughout the park, according to the CBC.

• The cost: Removing the bike lanes isn’t as easy as you think, and will cost the city $300,000 to remove the barriers.

What’s next: Council will report back in November 2024 on creating a new separated bike lane. It’s like Groundhog Day, but in a year and a half.

Analysis: In the end, it may not matter if the barriers are removed. Drivers will need to share the roads with bikers. While many less-confident bikers may return to the bike lanes along the water, many more experienced ones are likely to continue using the roads. The only difference? Less protection.

DREAM HOME

The wild West End

This week we’re exploring the beautiful West End.

Vancouver-affordable

Sadly there is nothing purchasable that is affordable, which we usually define as under $500,000. Next time West End, next time.

Not affordable

View of the beach? Check. Brick walls? Check. No room for your friends to visit because you bought a one-bedroom for over $1 million? Check.

It’s a gorgeous unit, but don’t expect any family or friends to stay.

The “only in your dreams” home

With four bedrooms, you can certainly have friends over. Expect them to stay a while, because in addition to the four bedrooms, this massive penthouse has three balconies and 360-degree views of the water. Guess how much this place will set you back.

THE AGENDA

👮 A Vancouver police officer who Tasered a Black man three times has been convicted of assault with a weapon. The judge rejected the officer’s argument that the man posed a risk. [CBC]

🏒 Yikes is all we can say about the latest Canucks game. The team lost 5-1, the 25th time they’ve allowed five goals or more this season. [The Province]

🚓 The civilian police watchdog is investigating an incident where a woman received serious injuries after being arrested. Police say she had an “edged weapon.” [Global]

💰 The federal government is providing $2 million to Chinatown to help with its revitalization. The funding will be used for infrastructure and cultural institutions. [Global]

❌ Another day, another festival in jeopardy. This time it’s the Cherry Blossom festival after the main sponsor Coromandel Properties pulled out, after recently filing for creditor protection. [CTV]

🏢 NIMBYism strikes again. The Vancouver Italian Cultural Centre has come out against a supportive housing project that is up for rezoning at Grandview Highway and Slocan Street. [CityNews]

TRANSIT

It’s a (transit) emergency

What’s happening: The Mayors Council on Regional Transportation is calling on the federal government to renew funding for the region as TransLink struggles with the impacts of COVID, to the tune of $250 million, according to the Vancouver Sun.

Background: Across the country, transit funding has declined as fewer people have taken trips due to the pandemic, and people work from home. There were only 193.6 million transit journeys in 2022 compared to 271 million in 2019.

• For a deep dive into transit ridership across the region, read our analysis of the TransLink ridership numbers.

The funding would be matched by the B.C. government and ensure the 10-year expansion plan can be fulfilled.

Challenges: The funding is needed due to competing expansion priorities, the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, declining gas taxes and reduced ridership. All of this is affecting TransLink’s bottom line.

• Electrification of the fleet alone will cost $200 to $300 million in six to eight years.

Analysis: In a world of higher interest rates and tightening government spending, finding the money to cover this massive transit expansion plan will no doubt be challenging. The disparity in transit usage after COVID, where fewer people ride downtown while more people use transit in regions like the Fraser Valley, will also pose challenges.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• This restaurant is serving up Ukrainian food you may not have heard about. [Lookout Eats]

• Vancouver Parks and Recreation is giving away 250 trees to improve canopy-deficient areas of Vancouver.

• There’s a ship with a hard sail off the coast of Vancouver right now. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Eastbound 99 B-Line has returned to its original location! [Reddit]

• What’s the problem with food reviewers? Our food editor (and food reviewer) Jamie has some thoughts.

• Ever wondered what those cameras on the top of intersections do? They capture data and lots of it. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Hey Bruce Springsteen fans, the boss is coming to Vancouver on Nov. 3.

• Could Vancouver host the Olympics again? A new plan could see it rotate to a set number of cities.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Vancouver’s boring waterfront?

Is Vancouver’s waterfront boring? That’s what one YouTube user says. What do you think?

GAME TIME

Congrats to Melanie who correctly guessed there around 50 earthquake sensors are being installed around BC.

In today’s VancouverGuesser, we’ve got a well-known street. Do you know where it is? Bonus points if you can name the cross street.