Plans to redevelop glass rotunda at Pacific Centre Mall spark concern

Downtown Vancouver could soon lose one of its few remaining public spaces.

Cadillac Fairview, the owner of Pacific Centre Mall, wants to replace the glass rotunda on the northeast corner of West Georgia and Howe Streets, with a three-storey commercial complex.

The city of Vancouver confirms the plans, which include 31,000 plus square feet of retail space, have been in the works for a decade.

“In 2006, city council had approved a rezoning allowing that building and I think it’s a tragedy because we have so few public plazas and open spaces,” architect and urban planner Michael Geller said.

Retail experts say the corner currently housing the rotunda and courtyard is prime real estate in the heart of the downtown core — and it’s no surprise the mall owners want to capitalize on it.

“A lot of money is going in to try to revitalize retail shopping spaces but it’s really not in a booming retail environment. It’s to make sure you’re competing with the other retail space,” David Ian Gray from DIG360 Consulting said.

Gray believes Pacific Centre Mall is just catching up with its competition. Guildford Town Centre in Surrey recently underwent a multi-million dollar makeover while both Brentwood Mall in Burnaby and Oakridge in Vancouver, are planning massive expansions.

“I’m not at all surprised by the whole consumerism thing requiring more and more density,” Ray Spaxman, a consultant and the city’s former planning director, said.

Spaxman helped design the original rotunda and says he’ll be sad to see it go.

“My first reaction, oh what a pity. We haven’t got enough open space downtown anyways.”

The public can submit their comments on the development application in writing or via email until August 28th.

The city’s planning director will decide whether to green light plans to commercialize the publicly used space.