Almost 40 years after Expo 86, why hasn’t the prime waterfront actual property alongside Northeast False Creek been developed?
It’s a query B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon requested Friday, as he recommended it was “unacceptable” the location remained undeveloped a long time after the top of the honest.
“When folks locally are struggling for housing and so they see a parcel of land that’s fairly distinguished offered to a non-public curiosity nearly 40 years in the past and nonetheless no motion, I believe folks have the correct to be involved,” Kahlon instructed World Information.
“It’s turn into an instance of really how we will’t get housing constructed.”
Harmony Pacific acquired the land from the province after the 1986 world’s honest, however the property has sat empty for many years.
The land is at the moment dwelling to a pair of parking heaps between the waterfront and the viaducts, which have sometimes performed host to occasions like Cirque du Soleil.
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Earlier this month, Harmony revealed a proposal to construct 12 towers with 5,000 properties on the website.
Harmony’s plan for the world, dubbed “Harmony Touchdown,” includes tying Georgia Avenue immediately into Pacific Boulevard as a main thoroughfare within the space, changing the viaducts.
It additionally features a new 14-acre waterfront park.
However that mission hinges on the removing of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts. Town permitted their removing 10 years in the past — however no formal plan has ever been superior, and their removing stays unfunded.
“Traditionally, we’ve not been in a position to develop the final 15 per cent of the Expo Lands, because it was tied up by the 2010 Olympics, the Viaduct research, and the upcoming 2026, FIFA World Cup,” Harmony Pacific senior-vice president of planning Matt Meehan instructed World Information in an announcement.
“We now have delivered over 10,000 properties on the Expo Lands and we at the moment have about 10,000 properties underneath development; primarily within the Decrease Mainland. We’re anxious to develop the final 15 per cent of the Expo website. We welcome any help from the Province to assist transfer the mission ahead.”
Kahlon mentioned the province was pissed off sufficient with the tempo of improvement that was ready to assessment the unique agreements within the 1988 land deal between the province, metropolis and Harmony, and wasn’t ruling out litigation.
He mentioned he needs all events on the desk to conform to a plan that would see work start by the top of the 12 months.
“All of the items which might be obligatory are there, that’s what is irritating about this,” he mentioned.
“BC Housing has come to the desk with inexpensive housing choices in addition to part of the plan.”
The province, nonetheless, seems unwilling to contribute to the price of eradicating the viaducts. Harmony says it would contribute $110 million to the demolition, whereas one other developer will even contribute $100 million.
The estimated value to take away the viaducts was $438 million in 2018, earlier than the latest bout of inflation that has seen budgets for main public works balloon dramatically.
The Metropolis of Vancouver didn’t provide a direct response to questions on whether or not the taxpayer might be left to cowl the remainder.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
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