Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
More than a decade after the City of Vancouver greenlit a plan to remove the aging viaducts serving the city’s downtown core, a group of businesses and residents are hoping to turn them into an election issue.
Built in the 1970s, the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts are a rare remaining sign of a scrapped plan to run a freeway through downtown Vancouver.
While they serve about 40,000 vehicles a day, the structures are seismically unsound and occupy a prime patch of undeveloped land.
In 2015, Vancouver city council voted to remove them, and three years later unveiled the Northeast False Creek plan to remake the area with new social and market housing and a large park.
Eleven years and two mayors later, however, they remain in place.
“It’s frustrating to have this plan sitting on a shelf for [over] 10 years now and literally not very much being done, at least in the grand scheme of things,” said Landon Hoyt, executive director of the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Association.
WATCH | Concord Pacific unveils long-awaited plan for Northeast False Creek development:
Concord Pacific reveals 5,000-home plan for long-awaited development of northeast False Creek
Concord Pacific has revealed its 12-tower plan to create 5,000 new homes for the northeast shore of False Creek. As Meera Bains reports, it’s the area between the Plaza of Nations and Science World, but the development depends on Vancouver’s viaducts coming down.
Hoyt is part of a coalition that are using the upcoming municipal election to pressure the city’s next mayor and council to make good on the city’s plan to redevelop the area.
“The longer we wait, the more expensive it’s going to be, and so I think that’s really why now is important,” he added.
Petros Kusmu, a board member with the Hogan’s Alley Society, said now is the time to act — with both the provincial and federal governments currently open to partnering on housing development.
“I think for most Vancouverites, the message is as simple as: we just want to build affordable housing, we want to build really attractive community spaces, parks and areas for legacy businesses to thrive,” he said.
WATCH | Residents and businesses want the viaducts gone:
Next Vancouver city council should remove viaducts, residents and businesses say
He added that developing the area was an opportunity to work with and uplift its historic Black, Indigenous and Chinese communities.
“It’s just a matter of someone really putting into action the removal of these viaducts and, you know, putting some serious effort into actually wanting to develop this whole part of the city,” he said.
The City of Vancouver said no one was available for an interview.
But in a statement, it said enacting the Northeast False Creek plan “is dependent to a significant degree on funding generated by the redevelopment of sites owned by several landowners within the [plan] area.”
WATCH | The past and future of Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley:
A look at the past and future of Hogan’s Alley
Vancouver’s Black neighbourhood was dismantled in the late 1960s to make room for the Georgia and Dunsmuir street viaducts.
With significant changes to the condo market since the plan was approved, development in the plan area has not moved forward — stalling that funding — while the cost to build has “escalated dramatically,” according to the city.
The statement adds the city is looking at ways to cover the gap, including expanded development opportunities and financing and funding from senior levels of government.
Candidates make promises
In 2018, the city estimated the Northeast False Creek plan would cost an estimated $1.73 billion.
At least two candidates in the race for mayor are promising action — but say the financial realities have changed.
Green Party mayoral candidate Pete Fry said he was committed to taking down the viaducts. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“There’s a lot of variables, but certainly I’m committed to making sure that this happens,” said Vancouver Greens mayoral candidate Pete Fry.
“We have to come up with a new financial model, with who’s going to pay for this, and how, and what the phasing and staging would look like.”
Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam said the Northeast False Creek plan would have to be re-costed for the viaduct demolition to proceed. (Martin Diotte/CBC)
Vancouver Liberals candidate Kareem Allam said the Northeast False Creek plan can be salvaged, but needs to be re-costed before the city can move forward.
“There will be significant cost escalations, as you can imagine over the course of the last 10 years,” he said.
Allam suggested the city could look to the provincial disaster mitigation fund or federal seismic and disaster funds to help address its funding issues.
CBC News sought comment from the ABC, TEAM and VOTE mayoral candidates — but did not receive a response by deadline.
Vancouver will hold its civic election on Oct. 17.