1,000 Olympic workers could be housed
John Colebourn
Province
Alvaro Ponce de Leon stands at the site of a proposed modular village for workers in Vancouver. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province
A Lower Mainland entrepreneur hopes to open a temporary lodge to house up to 1,000 people working on Olympic-related projects.
Alvaro Ponce de Leon, a North Vancouver architect and businessman, said he has approached Vancouver’s planners with plans to build a modular village for trades workers a half-block north of Terminal Avenue between Begg Street and Glen Drive.
“I hear there is going to be a shortage of workers and I know the construction companies are concerned about it,” Ponce de Leon told The Province yesterday.
The two-hectare vacant property in the False Creek flats that Ponce de Leon would like to see turned into a complex for up to 1,000 people is zoned for industrial use.
Ponce de Leon, who manufactured trailers in Colombia before moving to Canada nine years ago, would have to get the property rezoned for modular homes.
He said False Creek was chosen because it is close to the construction sites and would have little impact on existing infrastructure.
The workers’ accommodation would include recreational amenities and there would be a shuttle to move workers to the job sites.
Following the Olympics, Ponce de Leon said, the group of investors he represents would donate the modular housing to the city for it to use as low-income affordable housing.
“The challenge for us is to prove the need,” said Ponce de Leon. “This is all new, but it is fascinating.”
Rob Jenkins, Vancouver’s assistant director of current planning, said he is reviewing the proposal and will be in touch with Ponce de Leon in a few weeks.
“It is being reviewed and we have flagged a number of issues,” he said.
One concern is whether the soil in the industrial area is contaminated. Another is the issue of providing services such as water and sewage to the temporary units.
The site is also isolated from the type of amenities workers would need. “It is still an open question whether we are going to support the proposal,” he said.
Keith Sashaw, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, said there is concern about a labour shortage for Olympic projects.
“The issue of a skills shortage is a real one,” he said.
“All our members are looking for skilled workers, and the issue of accommodation for workers has been raised. There’s no doubt we will be attracting a lot of people into the province, so there is going to be a demand for housing.”
© The Vancouver Province 2006
