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[Editor’s note: A version of this piece was first published on Geoff Meggs’ Substack Lotusland and is republished here with permission.]
Forty years after Expo 86 and 20 years after its massive land development on the north shore of False Creek was supposed to be finished, Concord Pacific now is forecasting that it may still be many years before construction begins.
That is frustrating news for community leaders from around False Creek who are holding a half-day symposium Friday at Simon Fraser University’s downtown campus to discuss the future of the area, now an empty parking lot in the heart of the city.
Called “Expo 86 at 40,” the collaborative dialogue organized by the Hogan’s Alley Society will bring together community leaders, planners, First Nations representatives and interested citizens to discuss what can be done to ensure the project proceeds as soon as possible on what was in 1988 the largest land deal in the history of B.C.
(Concord has been invited to send representatives to the gathering, which is co-sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, the Jim Green Foundation and SFU Urban Studies.)
Concord sparked excitement among community leaders a year ago when it announced it was submitting a rezoning inquiry for redevelopment of the land. The lengthy delay to get started was criticized by then-housing minister Ravi Kahlon as “unacceptable,” given the province’s need for an increase in housing supply.
The importance of the project was underlined last week by London Drugs’ announcement that it was closing its Woodward’s store on West Hastings in the face of continuing losses.
Both Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside have declined for the last 20 years while neighbourhoods farther west, adjacent to Concord development that was completed at the turn of the century, are buoyant.
The story of the land sale and Concord’s commitments was spelled out last March in an analysis published on The Tyee and Lotusland. For years, Concord confidently predicted the project would be completed by 2005. Now, there is no firm date to start.
Matt Shillito, director of special projects at the City of Vancouver planning department, confirmed Jan. 7 that the city had replied to the rezoning inquiry, including a response on density, but “there is nothing to report in terms of a formal rezoning application.”
Concord senior vice-president Matt Meehan confirmed the company has “been actively working with City Planning on redevelopment plans” for its Northeast False Creek lands but added, “We want to start developing the project when the market shows signs of returning.
“The certainty of the removal of the viaducts, which could involve multi-levels of government, and the challenging market are major factors at play.” (City council decided to remove the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts in 2018.)
With Metro Vancouver home sales at their lowest level in 20 years, and inventories at high levels, it’s not clear when the housing market will recover.
Tickets for “Expo 86 at 40” are free. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
Read more: Housing, Urban Planning
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