The Westbank Projects/Peterson Investment Group design mixes the modern with the heritage and saves the original building.   CREDIT: Jon Murray, The Province Millennium Development consulted with the community and came up with a ‘vertical street’ design that reflects the existing building.   Concert/Holborn’s hopes are pinned on students using space.

It was like $1.49 day when the curtain rose on the new-look Woodward’s.

Three competing visions for the landmark store on East Hastings were unveiled Friday to an excited gathering under the big W.

One of these plans for redevelopment of the Woodward’s site will be chosen in the fall, after extensive public consultation.

For Vancouver Coun. Jim Green, it’s the culmination of two decades of work saving Woodward’s for the Downtown Eastside.

“It’s been a struggle. There have been a lot of skeptics who said it couldn’t happen,” he said.

“This is the heart and soul of the Downtown Eastside. This is our past and our present and our future coming together in one structure.”

Last year, the city bought the site from the B.C. government for $5 million and a guaranteed 100 social-housing units. Work will start next year and be completed in 2007.

Green said the Woodward’s proposal has had more public input than any development in Vancouver history.

The proposals include 100 social-housing units, a native healing centre, daycare, food floor and community space.

Green admitted that the Downtown Eastside needs 2,000 social-housing units, and 100 units barely make a dent.

Jim Leyden of the Woodward’s Social Housing Coalition called the early meetings “smoke and mirrors.”

“We’d say we want 250 units of social housing, and they’d constantly write down 100,” said Leyden.

Downtown Eastside groups are planning a week of action this week to coincide with open houses at Woodward’s.

“This is our last chance to influence what’s happening,” he said.

The open houses in the W Room at 101 West Hastings are slated

for this coming Tuesday (4-8 p.m.), Thursday (1-5 p.m.), Sunday

(11 a.m.-3 p.m.) and Monday

(4-8 p.m.).

The three shortlisted designs offer very different visions:

WESTBANK PROJECTS/PETERSON INVESTMENT GROUP

Ian Gillespie, president of Westbank, said his team chose a high-quality look that mixes the modern with the heritage, including saving the original 1908 building.

“We’re going to restore this building down to every last brick,” he said. “We’re going to mix the new with the old.”

The $150-million proposal calls for 256 housing units.

It’s also got a daycare, public space and 31,000 square feet for City of Vancouver amenities.

CONCERT PROPERTIES/HOLBORN GROUP

David Podmore, president of Concert, said the theme of his $121-million project is openness.

“It opens it out to the community,” he said. “It refurbishes and restores a very major portion of the existing structure.”

He’ll carve out a large square in the centre, surrounded by smaller retailers and community uses.

His design hopes are pinned on Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Community College taking space.

“They bring about 2,000 students to the area. It helps to really animate and enliven the space,” said Podmore.

The old building will be converted into community space for the city.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT

Peter Malik of Millennium said his team consulted with the local community before deciding on its design for the $214-million project.

“The community certainly wants to be involved,” he said.

“They want to have a presence here.”

Millennium turned the existing look of Woodward’s and reflected it vertically in a red-brick tower.

“A vertical street, essentially,” he said.

The W will remain, as a public sculpture on the ground-level.

“The W has always been on top of the building, very far from the people,” said Malik.

“We thought it belonged down below with the people.”

© The Vancouver Province 2004