Semiah takes design inspiration from its White Rock location

Mary Frances Hill
The Province

Semiah

What: 14-storey mid-rise residential tower in White Rock Town Centre, with 88 residences

Where: 1439 George Street, White Rock

Developer and builder: Marcon

Residence sizes and prices: Two- and three-bedroom homes, 1,087 – 1,873 sq. ft., from $849,900

Sales centre: 1418 Johnston Road, White Rock

Sales centre hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs

When residents stand on their balconies at Semiah and look out to Semiahmoo Bay, they’ll take in the same beauty that inspired Scott Trepp and his team to design the interiors of the building in White Rock.

Their appreciation of the look and texture of the sand, light and water of White Rock’s shoreline is ever present in the materials, finishes and decor of Marcon’s community of 88 spacious condominiums.
However, the design doesn’t have to scream “shoreline” to take on the beauty of the waterfront. Subtle references to the outdoors were key in Trepp Design Inc.’s choices in materials and finishes.
The team took cues from the play of natural light and variations in surface textures. “To this end, we’ve combined low-lustre or matte finishes, such as the wide-plank brushed wood flooring, honed marble in the kitchen backsplash and honed ensuite marble tiles with other materials that are more polished,” Trepp says.

Driftwood, mussels and seagulls inspired the darker scheme, one of two options for Semiah buyers. The lighter scheme takes on the warmth of the sand and stone so often found on the nearby shoreline.

Marcon brought in higher-end appliances such as a Wolf cooktop and a Bosch french-door refrigerator, tall pantries in the kitchens and a wine fridge to appeal to buyers who want the look, feel and convenience in single-family homes, he adds.

The suites are spacious and open and made for entertaining, though every detail stands out for the designers.
“Unexpectedly, one of the elements that we are most fond of within the [show] suite is an accessory:  beach stones wrapped in sea grass,” says the principal of Trepp Design Inc.
“In addition to being esthetically beautiful, the artistic manipulation of these found objects strongly reflects the nature of the overall design for Semiah.”
Considering the emphasis on the surrounding environment, it’s fitting that the offset balconies and the width and shallowness of the suites maximize natural light for homeowners. The building’s position will offer views similar to those from the single-family homes nearby on the street.

The finishes are decidedly modern, but not minimalist, Trepp says. “Cabinetry door styles, plumbing fixtures and furnishing with a slight nod to more traditional styling were intentionally introduced to provide softness and character.”

A clear glass, box-like coffee table looks like a museum piece as much as a practical piece of decor, marking the living room as a mature and elegant space.
The table, manufactured by European glass experts Glas Italia, is aptly named “Collector,” he says.
“The coffee table within the living room is one of our favourite pieces for its form and softness of line.  We love the flexibility it provides in displaying objects while still lending a sense of lightness and openness to the space.”

© 2018 Postmedia Network Inc.

Airbnb deal with B.C. Canada?s first

Matt Robinson
The Province

Airbnb will collect provincial sales taxes on all short-term rentals in B.C. in a new agreement that amounts to a Canadian first.

Finance Minister Carole James said Wednesday her government and Airbnb had reached a deal for the company to remit, on behalf of its 18,500 B.C. hosts, the eight per cent PST and the up-to-three per cent municipal and regional district hotel tax. The agreement would mean an estimated $16 million a year for the province and $5 million for local governments, according to the province.

“Government needs to keep up with the growing and changing economy. We need to ensure the businesses and people taking part in the sharing economy are paying their fair share of taxes,” James said.

Revenues collected by B.C. would be spent on affordable housing measures that would be found in the Feb. 20 provincial budget, James said, later noting “every penny makes a difference.”

Erez Aloni, an assistant professor at the University of B.C.’s Peter A. Allard School of Law, said it was likely other parts of Canada would pursue similar agreements.

“I think it has become the norm,” he said, adding that several other jurisdictions had experimented with the idea before B.C. “Now that we know not only that it works, but that Airbnb is collecting it for the province, there is absolutely no reason for other provinces not to follow.”

Airbnb collects and remits taxes in France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the U.S., according to the company. It also collects a lodging tax in Quebec. 

B.C.’s agreement with Airbnb would require legislative and regulatory changes, according to the province.

Andrew Weaver, the leader of the B.C. Green party, called the announcement “a good first step from a tax fairness perspective,” but said it would not help free up long-term rental stock pulled from the market by short-term rentals.

“We are in a crisis. We need to ensure that houses are used for homes for British Columbians first and foremost. The province should work with local governments to return units to the long-term rental supply,” he said in a written statement.

Andy Yan, the director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University, criticized the agreement.

“In the housing realm of sub-one per cent vacancy rates, this tax is kind of like using cigarette taxes to pay for lung cancer treatments,” Yan said, adding that short-term rentals often take affordable housing from the market altogether.

Local governments in B.C. are grappling with short-term rentals.

Recently, the City of Vancouver moved to regulate them and has new rules that come into effect in April. Residents will be able to rent out their principal residences for short terms using services like Airbnb so long as they purchase a $49 annual licence and pay a $54 one-time activation fee. Renters would need approval of their landlords and condo owners would need support of their strata council.

Sue Willis, the president of the B.C. Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers Guild, said that Airbnb is just one of about two dozen online short-term rental listing services. She said her industry has sought a “level playing field” through regulations where all hosts are licensed for the sake of guest comfort and safety.

She expressed concern that the B.C.-Airbnb agreement could lead to a change to a key tax exemption relied on by bed and breakfasts. Under the PST Exemption and Refund Regulation, accommodation provided by someone who offers fewer than four units is not taxed provincially, she said.

The Finance Ministry did not immediately respond to an question about whether the announcement would change the exemption.

The province said it hoped to work with other short-term rental companies to have them collect taxes as well.

© 2018 Postmedia Network Inc.  

Half of homebuyers got in bidding war

Susan Lazaruk
The Province

 

It’s what CMHC is calling the “most thorough examination of house price patterns” ever done of the housing market in the country’s five largest cities, including Vancouver.

Canada Housing and Mortgage Corp. on Wednesday released a 225-page report called Examining Escalating House Prices in Large Canadian Metropolitan Centres. It was completed to better understand how much prices rose between 2010 and 2016 (in Vancouver, a lot), factors that drove the hikes, why the hikes are important and what can be done about them.

1. Housing got more expensive

House prices jumped 48 per cent between the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2016 in Vancouver, the leader in increases among Toronto (40 per cent), Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary.
CMHC said its analysis showed that demand was driven by conventional economic factors — a strong economy, growing population and low mortgage rates.

The report said between five and 10 per cent of Vancouver’s market is owned by non-resident investors.

“Foreign investment increased demand,” said CMHC deputy chief economist Aled ab Iorwerth.

He also said “The supply response (to the rising overall demand) has been relatively weak in Vancouver and Toronto.” But there were “data gaps” that precluded researchers from determining why.

Calgary and Edmonton responded to their demand by “sprawling horizontally,” said Iorwerth.

2. What were first-time buyers buying?

In Metro Vancouver, the study found that first-time buyers were spending on average almost $550,000 on their first homes. That compared to $957,000 for buyers who weren’t buying for the first time. Meanwhile in Toronto, the amount first-time buyers were spending was almost $595,000 and in Montreal it was $308,000.

3. Survey shows lots of bidding wars

For the first time, CMHC sent out a survey to gauge Canadian homebuyers’ “behavioural economics,” or what social pressures and influences they felt to buy real estate.

The questionnaire was sent out to 30,000 homebuyers in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto who had purchased a home in the previous 12 months and it was completed by more than 2,200, enough for a “statistically sound analysis.”

That is, how they’re influenced to buy (family and friends was tops, followed by realtors, builders, media and government), how much they think the market will grow in the short term (not one thought the value of their purchase would fall within the first year) and long term (long-term price expectations are in line with past market returns) and how willing they were to get into a bidding war.

It found that 53 per cent of buyers in the Vancouver market got in a bidding war for their purchase (mostly condos). And 47 per cent of Vancouver buyers paid more for their home than they intended.

4. Demand for investment properties is up

The report also found an increase in investor demand for condos, which has increased rentals but the newer units “tend to be more expensive than units from existing purpose-built rentals.”

Ab Iorwerth said “all levels of government” have to work on solutions to the lack of affordable housing.

The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations called for a review of tax policy “and how it favours home ownership over renting,” its president, John Dickie, said in a release.

“And second, (governments must) address the need for more purpose-built rental housing for the people who cannot afford the rising price of home ownership,” he said.
Dickie said Ottawa needs to implement “financing alternatives, tax reforms or other incentives.”

5. Number of females reporting rental income rises

In 2010, more males than females reported rental income on their tax returns, although it was just marginally so in Vancouver, with 51 per cent of males reporting rental income.

But the growth in the number of females reporting rental income rose rapidly between 2010 and 2014, particularly by 28 per cent in Vancouver, according to CMHC.

The percentage of male taxfilers reporting rental income in Vancouver dropped to 23 per cent, it said.

“Overall, the difference in rental shares that existed between male and female taxfilers before 2010 had largely disappeared by 2014,” it said.

© 2018 Postmedia Network Inc

New Coast Realty ‘vehemently’ denies allegations in $435K civil claim from Wendy Yang

Jason Proctor
other

A Richmond real estate agent claims she is owed more than $435,000 in lost commissions by a realty firm at the heart of a controversy over so-called “shadow flipping.”

In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court last month, Wendy Yang claims New Coast Realty owes her money from more than two dozen sales, many of which completed after she says she was pressured into leaving for a competitor.

In the lawsuit, Yang claims New Coast owner Ze Yu Wu encouraged agents to convince clients to accept lower offers from “friendly buyers (friends, neighbours or relatives)” who would then assign the contract to a “bona fide purchaser” so that New Coast and the agent would “obtain two commissions on one real estate deal.”

“Wendy Yang was of the view that this practice was blatantly unethical and it ran contrary, not only to real estate rules but fairness and [honesty] and refused to agree to such practices,” the notice of claim reads.

‘Entirely without merit’

In a statement to CBC, Rosario Setticasi, the chief compliance officer for New Coast, said the company has had an ongoing legal dispute with Yang since her departure in 2016.

“Her allegations are entirely without merit and are vehemently denied by New Coast and Mr. Wu,” Setticasi wrote. “Ms. Yang left New Coast in breach of her contract and in circumstances that allow New Coast to retain any unpaid commissions pursuant to the terms of the contract.”

In 2016, the Real Estate Council of B.C. commenced an investigation into New Coast’s operations after reports in the media about the practice of “shadow flipping” — in which agents allegedly pocketed multiple commissions on the same property through the assignment of a contract for a higher price before the finalization of a sale.

t the time, the company issued a rebuttal of the allegations and claimed that it followed all necessary rules and regulations.

The controversy ultimately sparked a public discussion that led to the provincial government’s decision to end self-regulation of the real estate industry.

‘Friendly buyers’ or no referrals

The latest lawsuit is not the first tangle between Yang and New Coast. A Supreme Court claim filed by the company is set to go to trial this year.

In that claim, New Coast accused Yang of forging her managing broker’s signature on 11 listings before leaving the company for a competitor in January 2016. She then allegedly relisted nine of the contracts with Metro Edge Realty the next month.

New Coast allegedly complained to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver which handed back eight of the contracts.

In her response to that suit, Yang denied the allegations and claimed it was “common practice” for team leaders to sign brokers’ names and that “she had the consent of the vendors.”

In the claim filed last month, Yang says she was advised that if she did not follow advice about the finding of “friendly buyers” for the assigning of contracts “she would receive no further referrals from New Coast.”

She claims that listings stopped coming her way and that she was then provided with a new contract limiting her commissions. Yang claims she was told she would be fired if she didn’t sign.

Yang still works with Metro Edge Realty. Her lawsuit lists 29 house sales with commissions ranging from $1,500 to $50,000; she claims she is owed a total of $435,963.70.

None of the claims has been proven in court.

©2018 CBC/Radio-Canada.

Virtual reality home viewing will be the norm

Neil Sharma
REP

Technology has become a great disruptor in too many industries to count, and the argument can certainly be made that real estate is perhaps the most susceptible.

The reason, says Ali Reaziat, marketing and training manager at Apostrophe Solutions, is technology has shifted consumer expectations. While open houses have traditionally revealed little beyond pictures prior to showings, house hunters can now practically visit properties without being present.

Reaziat asks: Why spend 25 minutes driving to a property you know little about in the likely event you’ll leave disappointed, only to drive another 25 minutes back home?

“You can use technology to give much faster and in-depth information during or after a visit,” said Reaziat. “It used to be that a realtor would have a feature sheet and people would carry that catalog sheet during the showing.”

Not anymore.

Realty brokerages offer virtual property tours at their offices wherein prospective buyers can visit every room inside a home and view its exterior.

“Before I go to a house to see the property, I have a good understanding of what the property looks like, but it gets further enhanced with virtual reality,” he said. “I can have a walk-through of the property. People can wear googles and view a property without having to travel 45 minutes to see it.”

Potential buyers can also learn about a home’s most minute details, like when the roof was last replaced or what kind of furnace is in the basement. These particulars are salient because the buyer can factor a home’s future cost into their decision to purchase, or even use it as a bargaining chip.

With the help of sophisticated AI algorithms, social media is being used by clued in sales agents and brokerages to precisely identify who might be interested in buying a particular home.

“On Facebook, you know a lot about clients, like when they’re having a new kid or when they’re buying cars, and AI is training the automated features of social media to enable you to use technological tools to make sense of what’s going on out there in the lives of your target audience to create content that would resonate with them.

“AI lets you figure out who to promote properties to. If it’s a garage add-on, you’d find somebody who just a bought a new car. It finds those people for you—their financial status, whether or not they just bought an SUV or a sports sedan.”

Debbie Cosic, founder and CEO of In2ition Realty, says that, without a doubt, technology has changed the real estate industry, and that there’s no sign of it abating.

“Technology is changing real estate like a speeding bullet, and people who don’t get on the bandwagon will get left behind,” she said. “We’ve seen crazy things at conventions where they talk about robots holding open houses for agents.

“Even the technology being used for open houses has changed things immensely because now you can put goggles on and walk through not just one house, but five or six, without leaving the realtor’s office. You can even have a virtual walk-through of the neighbourhood to see what the schools and other amenities are.”

Copyright © 2018 Key Media Pty Ltd

Balconies at Concord Brentwood?s Hillside East will significantly enhance residences? living space

MICHAEL BERNARD
The Vancouver Sun

Concord Brentwood – Hillside East

Project Address: 4880 & 4890 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby

Project Scope: A total of 900 units in two concrete buildings of 55 and 45 storeys each. Set in Concord’s 26-acre parkside community in the emerging Brentwood town centre neighbourhood. Homes range from a 545- square-foot one-bedroom with heated balconies of between 158 and 276 square feet to a 2,101-square-foot three-bedroom penthouse with a nook and study, and outdoor living space of up to 2,862 square feet. Close to SkyTrain, a newly expanded Brentwood Mall and a proposed 13-acre park and green space

Prices: One-bedroom from high $500,000s; two-bedroom from $750,000s; two-bedroom-and-den from $840,000s. Two-bedroom-and-den and three-bedroom homes from Sky Collection (floor 44 and up) start at $1.19 million

Developer: Concord Shokai Brentwood Phase 1B Ltd. 

Contact Name: Concord Brentwood sales team at 604-435-1383

Architect: Francl Architecture & PFS Studio

Interior Designer: LIV Interiors

Sales Centre: 4750 Kingsway, Burnaby

Centre Hours: 11:30 a.m. — 5:30 p.m., daily (by appointment only)

Website: ConcordBrentwood.com

Occupancy: 2022

The buyer response to Concord’s latest highrise offering in the newly emerging Brentwood town centre community has been brisk, with buyers taking numbers to line up for appointments with sales agents to purchase one of the 500 homes in the gleaming 55-storey tower.

Grant Murray, Concord’s senior vice-president of sales, said the rush on the first of two highrises — together, the Hillside East phase of the Concord Brentwood 26-acre development — came as no surprise.

“It was crazy busy and we had a phenomenal sales campaign,” Murray said. “I can tell our competition is eyeing it and saying we are going to go higher (price-wise) on our project.”

Murray estimated that prices have risen by $200,000 for one-bedroom suites and up to $250,000 for two-bedroom homes compared to the first two towers at Concord Brentwood, which were sold within a few days of hitting the market in 2016. That increase represents pent-up demand and the fact that prices were relatively stable prior to 2016, he said.

Murray said the price change has led to changes in the type of Concord Brentwood buyers.

“There is a different crowd for this phase. We probably didn’t see as many first-time buyers and by and large, the crowd is very local with some, but not as many, overseas investors. A lot are downsizing from (single-family) homes and going into the larger two- and three-bedroom units.”

While there are fewer first-home purchasers, they are still well represented, including as young couples jumping from the rental market into their own homes, and many single women and men jumping into the home market, he said.

Concord has added a new architecture firm to its stable at Brentwood, bringing on Francl Architecture to design the latest two of the total 11 buildings planned for the site. Vancouver architect James Cheng designed the first two towers called Hillside West and did much of the master planning for the community at Brentwood.

 “The suites themselves are fairly similar (to the earlier ones) inside,” said Murray. “Externally, there is a huge transition on the balconies and the curvatures of the buildings.”

LIV Interiors principal Olivia Lam says while the overall palate between Hillside East and West is similar, there is one major change, both on the balconies and in the bathrooms. “We decided to switch from marble tiles to large-format porcelain tiles for various reasons. Firstly, porcelain tiles are more lightweight and resistant to scratches, extreme heat/cold, UV rays and hard chemicals.

“Secondly, porcelain tiles offer greater uniformity from one shipment to the next. By using porcelain tiles, our designs can be realized more consistently from one homeowner’s suite to another. The firm also went with large format tiles on bathroom walls, which she says provide a clean and more refined esthetic.

LIV also factored in the growth of online shopping and food ordering by allocating some common area space for parcel and food storage, which she calls “a valuable extension of people’s homes.”

A very popular feature is the balcony in Concord’s latest project. The balconies are inset, which means the overhang from the apartment above fully protects the balcony space from the elements. As well, the traditional three- or four-inch threshold floor level has been removed, providing a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. Enhancing that are floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that can be retracted, and built-in radiant heating in the balcony ceiling to create a continuous all-season entertainment space.

Murray dubs the design “convertible living.”

 “Just as on a nice sunny day you can have the top down on your car and enjoy the outdoor air, it’s the same idea here,” he said. “You can open up the balcony doors and experience outdoor living for a longer time of the year.”

A couple of years ago, a Toronto developer publicly complained that balconies added 15 per cent to a building’s construction costs and were little used, but Murray says it is an entirely different situation on the West Coast.

“There is no question we are the banana belt of Canada. Vancouver and Victoria, our climate is much milder. While you might pay 10 to 12 per cent more [for a balcony], that money is well worth it because of the additional living space you get.”

In some one-bedroom units, Concord disclosure statements show that the total living area is expanded to 821 square feet by the inclusion of the balconies. In some two-bedrooms, the overall living space can be expanded by up to 630 square feet for an overall total of up to 1,656.

Another popular Concord feature at Brentwood is central heating and cooling, controlled by an in-suite thermostat. Also included in the new buildings are water-softening systems and high-speed elevators. An electric vehicle-charging outlet is available with every parking stall. Hillside East also has a car-sharing program and an automatic touchless car-wash system in the eight-floor parkade.

Owners will also have access to a fitness room, entertainment lounge, sports and games lounges, a pet grooming room, yoga and a ping pong room and a children’s area in the lower park space. The outdoor space also includes outdoor ping pong tables, a tricycle path and an open lawn with seating area.

Kitchens feature Bosch appliances, including a bottom-mount freezer in a counter-depth refrigerator, gas cooktop, wall oven, Panasonic microwave with chrome insert kit, and LIV closet organizers with colour coordinated wood trim doors. Bathrooms are outfitted in Grohe and Kohler fixtures, showers with niches and extensive use of Calacatta porcelain walls and floors.

© 2018 Postmedia Network Inc.

Neil Sharma
REP

Although the courts ruled against the Toronto Real Estate Board in its years-long litigation against the federal Competition Bureau, the former is appealing the case, once again relegating sold data to purgatory.

But, by proscribing sold data—a property’s purchase history—is TREB protecting consumer privacy, like it purports it is, or is it stifling competition? Bill McMullin, CEO of Nova Scotia-based Viewpoint Realty, a virtual office website (VOW), believes the latter.

His VOW cannot operate in the GTA, but he says his business is proof positive that TREB’s assertion that sold data compromises privacy is sophistry. He also questions why TREB, a trade association, is competing with its members.

“I can be unequivocal about this: If it were not for the availability of MLS data, the full VOW feed, as it’s known, we would not exist,” said McMullin. “We have the leading website for real estate in Nova Scotia by a mile. We have 285,000 registered users and there are only 12,000 homes sold every year in Nova Scotia. We’re here to serve the customer by giving them the information. Because our website provides such depth and breath, including this information, the disputed data at the heart of this case is exactly what we’ve been providing to consumers in Nova Scotia since 2010, but TREB is trying to suggest it would be unlawful to provide consumers this data.”

He also says that if Viewpoint were guilty of untoward practices, it would have already suffered the ramifications.

“We’ve not been breaking the law for eight years,” added McMullin. “If we’d been breaking the law for eight minutes, we’d be sanctioned, so this is the absurdity of the situation. TREB has spent millions of dollars of its members’ money fighting.”

There is also a feeling among VOW operators that it’s only a matter of time before sold data becomes available to customers, who, for the time being, can only access it from a sales agent in person, by email or fax.

John Pasalis, president of Realosophy, ultimately believes that consumer choice is at the heart of the matter. Not only will consumers receive enhanced services, their privacy will remain protected, he says.

And, in the process, Pasalis believes allowing brokerages to access sold data will augment their businesses. Realosophy prepares elaborate data packages for its customers, and sold data would without a doubt figure prominently if made available.

“There are so many things you can do,” said Pasalis. “Giving the public more insight into the sales history of the particular property they’re looking at—the sales and transaction history— provides more analysis on the neighbourhood and housing trends in the market.”

Pasalis added TREB is waging war against innovation, and he’s certain it will be in vain.

“They’re waging a war against technology, innovation and where the rest of the world is going, and people want access to information to make smarter decisions,” said Pasalis. “I mean they have it in virtually everything else they do; our governments are opening up their databases and making them public, and I think it’s just a matter of time before TREB does as well.”

Copyright © 2018 Key Media Pty Ltd

Steve Randall
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

The recent increases in interest rates appears not to have dampened the intentions of most Canadian home buyers.

Just 1 in 4 surveyed for CMHC’s 2018 Prospective Home Buyer Survey said that an interest rate would make them very likely to delay purchasing a new home.

However, the tight inventory in some markets is likely to delay home purchase with more than 40% saying they would wait to find the ideal home and a similar share willing to compromise on the size and location.

All groups of prospective buyers would prefer a move-in-ready home or a newly built one.

While many are not put off, the tighter mortgage regulations and interest rate rises were not a top motivator for their purchase; most respondents cited better accessibility and investment as their top motivators.

“The Survey findings provide insights and valuable information for mortgage professionals about their future clients and their needs,” said Nathalie Fredette, Vice-President, Client Relationship Management. “It brings awareness amongst the industry and contributes to financial literacy by helping Canadians make informed and responsible home buying decisions.”

Most respondents will finance their home purchase with a mortgage – especially first-time buyers – with a down payment saved 1 to 2 years before purchase.

Copyright © 2018 Key Media Pty Ltd

Speakers mostly agreeable to massive plan for Vancouver’s False Creek

Matt Robinson
The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver city council heard from scores of residents, developers and interest-holders Wednesday ahead of a key decision on whether to approve a sweeping plan to transform northeast False Creek.

The 174-page plan for the waterfront neighbourhood calls for mixed-use developments that could house as many as 12,000 residents, including an estimated 3,250 in social-housing units, and employ as many as 8,000 people.

Many who spoke during the hearing were broadly in support of the plan, though repeated speakers voiced concerns that it didn’t provide for enough rental or social housing and some expressed concern that it would only lead to more condos priced beyond local incomes.

The plan “creates an opportunity to advance reconciliation with First Nations and cultural redress with Chinatown,” according to the city, and it calls for measures to address the displacement of members of the former Black community of Hogans Alley, which was razed in the late 1960s to make way for on-ramps to the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.

Many members of the Hogan’s Alley Working Group spoke strongly in favour of the plan, but also called for amendments to boost social and rental housing in the area.

When Hogan’s Alley was removed it fragmented Vancouver’s Black community and damaged its relationship with the city, said June Francis, a member of the group. Francis said the group hoped to see the social, economic, political and cultural voice of the community restored — something that could be aided by the creation of commercial and cultural space and rental housing in the area.

“Pass this plan now … do not delay,” Francis urged. “You as a council have the opportunity to create a legacy that is extremely important.”

The two-decade build-out of northeast False Creek could produce a $1.7-billion contribution to public amenities and critical infrastructure, according to a report by the city. It calls for new park space, roughly one kilometre of new waterfront seawall, a community centre, ice rink, spaces for child care, art, music and seniors, and community policing, among other things.

Councillors were slated to vote Wednesday on whether to approve the plan and its benefits strategy and to amend a policy on building height to allow consideration of three tall buildings in the area of Georgia Street and Pacific Boulevard. The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods and others have spoken out against the harm those buildings would have on existing views. 

City staff also asked councillors to “support the scope and estimated costs” for replacing the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts with new streets. Those costs could be as much as $360 million, according to the city, though that includes some expenses that would be covered by third parties to relocate non-city services like electricity, gas and communications. In 2015, the overall cost of the project was estimated as being no higher than $200 million.

Non-Partisan Association Coun. George Affleck expressed concerns over what he called “cost creep” and said he would have liked to have seen more concrete financial figures for the viaduct removals before being asked to vote on the plan.

Kevin McNaney, a project director at the city, said staff would return to councillors at a later date with a solid implementation and financial strategy. 

“What we are asking you … is just to give a nod to the scale and scope of what that project could be,” he said, adding that staff wanted councillors to “go in eyes wide open.”

Henry Tom, a member of the Northeast False Creek Stewardship Group, offered conditional support for the plan, but had concerns it wouldn’t unfold as stated: “There are so many uncertainties. There are so many hopes and dreams from many communities that are promised here that can only be delivered if the stars align.”

Peter Webb, an executive of Concord Pacific, said “never before have we seen such an alignment of public and private interests at the same time.”

Staff held more than 90 consultation events with nearly 17,500 participants, according to the city. 

© 2018 Postmedia Network Inc.