Council had a chance to scrap the plan, but instead decided to make it a priority.
Peter Severinson
Province
Photo illustration shows future new home of Vancouver Whitecaps (above left) built over and above busy rail yards north of Gastown, right next to waterfront SkyTrain station.
Whitecaps’coach Bob Lenarduzzi during the council meeting. Photograph by : Jason Payne, The Province
Vancouver city council voted unanimously yesterday to keep working with the Vancouver Whitecaps on a plan to build a downtown soccer stadium on the city’s waterfront.
Council had a chance to scrap the plan yesterday, but instead decided to make it a priority for the city even though many fear that building a stadium on a platform above the rail yard north of Gastown will be impossible.
Council debated the issue for almost four hours, rejecting a proposal to do an extended study of the waterfront before considering the stadium proposal.
“We don’t have planning in place for these lands,” said Coun. Raymond Louie, who brought forward the proposal. “We should not be rushed to make a decision when someone comes to us with what seems like a gift.”
Louie also proposed the city start looking for other possible stadium sites in case the current one fails.
Council voted not to start looking for other sites right away and see what kind of progress the Whitecaps can make on the waterfront site.
Coun. Heather Deal said she was disappointed by the decision not to look for other sites, saying the soccer club should have a back-up plan.
“Success is not a guarantee,” she said. “We have a lot of potential points where this plan will not succeed.”
More than 80 people spoke out on the plan in several days of public hearings, with about half supporting and half opposing it.
Coun. Tim Stevenson said voting on the project was one of the hardest decisions he’s ever had to make as a councillor.
“I’ve almost changed my mind every day,” he said.
Stevenson said he seriously doubts the Whitecaps will be able to overcome the huge challenges to building on the site — but they should get the chance to try.
Bob Lenarduzzi, the Whitecaps’ director of soccer operations, said he was pleased with the decision, although admitting there still a lot of work to be done.
“The public demonstrated their interest in the project and the council endorsed that interest unanimously,” he said. “All of the issues that need to be resolved can be resolved.”
Lenarduzzi said the Whitecaps have no plans to build the stadium anywhere else if the waterfront site doesn’t work.
Opponents of the plan said they weren’t surprised by council’s decision, but still feel the stadium won’t be built because of the tough obstacles, said Jon Stovell, spokesman for the Gastown Neighbourhood Coalition.
“We wished [council] had exercised more caution because we don’t believe the Whitecaps can solve these problems,” he said.
Stovell said building a stadium goes against the city’s work to make Gastown a comfortable residential and shopping neighbourhood.
© The Vancouver Province 2006
