It will be months before any shovels hit the ground, but Vancouver has a roadmap to redevelopment for its so-called “second downtown.”
After six marathon meetings and comments from hundreds of residents, city councillors voted seven to four in favour of the Broadway Plan Wednesday evening.
The plan sets the ground rules for development in a 500-block area surrounding the new Broadway subway, and forecast about 50,000 new residents over the next 30 years.
Towers of up to 40 storeys could be built near transit stations, and towers between 20 to 30 storeys could be built in several central or shoulder areas. The city is aiming for 65 per cent of construction to be rental, with a quarter of that at below-market rates.
The plan proved controversial, in part because of its massive scale and central location.
But urban planner and director of SFU’s City Program Andy Yan said the sometimes heated debate over the Broadway Plan was in some ways indicative of the future for Vancouver.
“Out of this plan I think we see the tensions, and how much the city has changed,” Yan said. “We’re out of easy land to develop and the land we do have left is either currently occupied, or its land which has neighbours. Development and change in the city of Vancouver is going to be much more messier. It’s going to take another level of leadership, a new level of leadership that deals with not only what could be there, but what is there.”
That ‘messiness’ was evidenced by the more than two dozen amendments added to the Broadway Plan before it won approval, including what Mayor Kennedy Stewart called the “strongest renter protections in Canada.”
The new renter rules require developers in the plan area to find suitable alternative housing for tenants before they can begin demolition.
It also requires them to allow tenants back in the new building at either their old rent or 20 per cent below the citywide average, which ever is cheaper.
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On Thursday, Stewart heralded the plan as a “massive win” for both the city and renters.
“Almost 75 per cent of the new units that will come in over 30 years will be for renters, which is so important if you think about the jobs in that corridor, health care jobs, education jobs,” he said.
“What I am most happy about is man, many of these units are permanently below market rents. So if you are making minimum wage, there are units now that are coming in place for you.”
The plan was also amended to allow towers on lots with 30-meter (99-foot) frontages, down from 45 metres (150 feet), which could make land assemblies easier, and also to cap the number of towers per block face at three.
Another amendment committed the city to building a bike lane on Broadway suitable for all ages and abilities.
Amendments to the plan also direct city staff to report back in numerous areas, many in response to concerns about the strain 50,000 new residents could put on city amenities.
Staff have been ordered to report on a target for new parks and open space, as well as on allocating more than 10 per cent of road space for non-car usage like mini parks, food gardens or play areas.
They’ve also been ordered to return with an operational review of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, “including immediate and future staffing needs and new or expanded firehall facilities,” given the potential population boom.
The plan was also amended to formally call on the Ministry of Education to prioritize the funding of new and expanded schools to meet the corridor’s growing population.
“It is difficult, I think, for staff and definitely for observers to know what the content and economic implications of all of the amendments are, but I suspect we will start to se redevelopment I guess in September” when the plan formally takes effect, said UBC Economist
“I think the bottom line is the council did an imperfect job, but really tried to balance the need for new homes with preserving the nature and quality of life for people who live close to the plan area.”
Areas closest to the new subway stations will likely be the first to see redevelopment, he said.
The plan has faced vocal opposition from critics who said the scale of the towers would create a “concrete canyon,” and wasn’t in line with the character of the area.
Others warned it would open the door to gentrification and land speculation.
Coun. Colleen Hardwick, who ultimately voted against the plan, mounted an unsuccessful bid a bid to have the entire plan put on pause until after the upcoming municipal election.
“It’s the loss of affordable rental, the displacement of people, and really the pushing through of density that is not rationalized through population growth or employment growth,” she told council.
The plan has also faced a challenge from some renters, with the Vancouver Tenants Union calling the new protections “insufficient” and no timelines for implementation or details on enforcement.
B.C. Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing said he believed the city’s protections were workable, and said the province support them through BC Housing “as best we can.”
“These buildings, many of them are aging and will be replaced. So if we can protect the tenants but not the buildings and get them newer units that are affordable that’s the goal,” he said.
The plan will formally be implemented Sept. 1.
— with files from Aaron McArthur
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