Darah Hansen and Heather Travis
Sun
Artist’s rendering of the Vancouver Whitecaps proposed waterfront stadium from the soccer club’s website.
VANCOUVER SUN FILES The issue of dangerous goods shuttling beneath the stadium was one of the issues cited by Vancouver city council.
The Whitecaps were still in the game Tuesday with a proposal to build a $65-million waterfront soccer stadium in Gastown after winning unanimous — though heavily conditional — support for the concept from Vancouver city councillors.
Council’s decision came after four nights of public meetings on the proposal, with more than 100 speakers stepping up to give their opinions for and against.
On Tuesday, council agreed that concerns voiced at those meetings — including road access around the stadium and the impact of noise and crowds on neighbouring residents and businesses — must be adequately addressed before the proposal could move forward in the rezoning and permit process.
To ensure this happens, stadium proponents have been directed to conduct a one-year formal study of the issues outlined. The rezoning process would add another year to that.
Stadium proponents must also resolve potential risk and liability issues associated with dangerous goods being transported in the CPR rail yard, over which the 15,000-seat facility would be constructed. They must also reconfigure the stadium’s design to ensure a better fit with its surrounding heritage neighbourhood between Granville Square and the foot of Cambie Street in downtown Vancouver.
Resolving all the identified concerns could delay the start of the project by two years or more.
Still, Bob Lenarduzzi, Whitecaps director of soccer operations, said his organization was “delighted” with Tuesday’s outcome.
“The public demonstrated their interest in the project and council endorsed that interest unanimously, and, so, we’re looking forward to moving ahead with the project and addressing the requirements that the staff had put forward to council,” he said in an interview outside council chambers.
Lenarduzzi said he’s optimistic the fundamental issues facing the proposal can be resolved within 24 months, and he played down opposition to the stadium by some residents and merchants in Gastown and the Downtown Eastside. Many said their neighbourhood was already too fragile because of surrounding poverty and open drug use to support the noise and rowdy crowds associated with a major sports facility.
“I think what is important to note is that the city, the Whitecaps, and the Port [Authority] — all the main stakeholders — all agree to resolve them . . . and that’s a pretty good starting point,” Lenarduzzi said.
Coun. Suzanne Anton said the city will make sure residents’ concerns are not overlooked.
“We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she said in an interview. “It’s very important for the Whitecaps to work with the residents to make sure that does not happen.”
But some Gastown residents said they aren’t comforted by council’s promises.
“I’m just devastated by this decision,” said Wendy Pedersen, whose home at the Four Sisters Co-op would overlook the new stadium.
“We already have bad things happening in our neighbourhood and it [the stadium] is going to bring more,” she said.
Neighbour Caryn Duncan was also disappointed with Tuesday’s outcome, but vowed to keep up the fight to find an alternate location for the project.
“We are not going away. We are in it for the long haul,” she said, referring to support from members of the loosely knit citizens group, called the Central Waterfront Coalition, of which both she and Pedersen are members.
“The Downtown Eastside and Gastown is our neighbourhood and we are not going away. We are not visitors … We’ve lived here for years and we do not support the stadium,” Duncan said.
Council had no answers Tuesday on how much money — if any — the approval process for the project will cost city taxpayers. A staff report outlining what it will take to expedite the project as a planning priority is expected back before council in September. The report will address issues of staff time, and just who will pay for it, Anton said.
Staff has also been asked to report to council on a quarterly basis on the proposal’s progress over the next two years.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Coun. Raymond Louie suggested council spend the next six months studying alternative locations for the proposed stadium, in case the waterfront location proved unworkable. He also called for an expanded study of the entire waterfront area, with future planning in mind should the railway tracks be relocated.
Louie argued the city has no planning in place for the land, and councillors “should not be rushed to make hasty decisions when somebody comes before us with a seeming gift,” he said, in reference to the privately funded stadium proposal.
“This is not about soccer for me. This is about land use,” he said.
But Louie’s ideas were shot down by the majority of councillors, who felt they would distract the city’s focus from the current proposal and cause even further delays.
“I think we have to keep moving, and not use planning as a means to stop this,” said Coun. Peter Ladner.
Ladner said Tuesday’s decision does not necessarily mean the project would go ahead.
“There is still a lot to be taken into consideration,” he said, adding he felt council should make an “extra effort” to see the proposal work, calling it a “huge social contribution” to Vancouver.
“We aren’t paying a penny for this stadium,” he said, adding Toronto is putting up $10 million for a similar structure.
The proposed Whitecaps stadium would span more than seven hectares of rail lands east of the Waterfront Seabus terminal in the Gastown area. The cost of the project is estimated at $65 million, including land purchasing costs of about $17 million.
After the two-year study and rezoning process is complete, council will decide whether to allow building to proceed.
“If we want this stadium in Vancouver, we need a way for these subjective issues to be addressed,” said Coun. Kim Capri.
STADIUM TIMELINE
For more than three years, Vancouver has been kicking around plans to build a $65-million waterfront soccer stadium in Gastown. The process is far from over.
January 2003 — Former Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell approaches the Whitecaps about building a downtown stadium.
July 2004 — The city decides against using Main Street and Terminal Avenue for a stadium site.
December 2004 — The Whitecaps make a formal inquiry to the city planning department about a waterfront site, north of Gastown.
July 2005 — Whitecaps purchase land at a waterfront site.
October 20, 2005 — City council approves a high-level review of the proposed stadium to determine the level of public support and technical issues of concern.
May 2006 — City staff complete high-level review.
July 11, 2006 — The proposed stadium concept wins unanimous — though heavily conditional — support from Vancouver city council.
September 2006 — Survey of Gastown neighbourhood and businesses to begin.
September 2007 — Rezoning application and stadium design process to begin.
2009 — Under the former Vancouver city timeline, construction was to be completed.
Sources: www.whitecapsnewstadium.com, Bob Lenarduzzi, director of soccer operations for the Whitecaps
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
