Vancouver city council is back at it again this week with two days of what looks to be some long meetings covering a variety of topics, including the future of Northeast False Creek.
A potential bid for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup and a decision whether to proceed with a proposal to build a $90-million social housing building at 58 West Hastings are also on the agenda.
If those items don't excite you, look for what is expected to be a political sniping match between NPA Coun. Melissa De Genova and Mayor Gregor Robertson.
How can we predict that?
De Genova will introduce a motion that targets the mayor's failed promise to end so-called street homelessness by 2015. The city's last homeless count in March 2017 found more than 530 people living on the street. Another 1,600 were found to be living in some form of shelter.
Here's a brief rundown of each topic:
Northeast False Creek
When is the last time you read a 368-page city staff report to council? Now is your chance, especially if you have an interest in Northeast False Creek. If you're not familiar with the area, think of the land west of B.C. Place Stadium that runs along False Creek to Science World. Now think of it with the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts gone, a new street network, more park space and “approximately 1,800 affordable homes.” The city says the costs of the project, including childcare, social housing, artist space, plaza and a new cultural centre will be covered by “developer-related” revenues, utilities, sale or lease of city lands and “strategic partnership agreements” with nonprofit organizations. Council is expected to hear from several speakers Wednesday before deciding on the ambitious plan.
FIFA 2026 World Cup
To be clear, Vancouver is not going it alone on a bid to have the best soccer players in the world come to town. It's more complicated than that, but equally interesting because Canada, the United States and Mexico joined together to bid for the World Cup to be played in all three countries. The United Bid Committee, as they've called themselves, narrowed down their bid to include Vancouver, along with 25 cities in the United States and three in Mexico as potential host cities for the World Cup. If the United Bid Committee wins the bid, and Vancouver becomes one of the host cities, you could expect three to five games to be played here. Council first has to vote on a series of recommendations to proceed to the next step of the process of hosting World Cup games. That next step will include getting the provincial and federal governments on board. The item is on the agenda for Tuesday but could get bumped to Wednesday, if people sign up to speak.
58 West Hastings St.
Back in August 2016, Mayor Gregor Robertson signed a pledge in front of Downtown Eastside residents to ensure tenants’ rents would be $375 a month at a 231-unit social housing building planned for 58 West Hastings St. It was a bold move from the mayor, since the provincial government is responsible for coming up with the dough for such massive projects. The most recent cost estimate is $90 million, with $30 million of that covered by the provincial government. City staff told council at a Jan. 16 public hearing the $30 million allows the project to proceed with 50 per cent of the units at $375 per month and the other half at 30 per cent of a household's income level, but not to exceed $1,272 per month. Expect a big crowd to turn out to city hall Tuesday to hear council’s decision on the project.
De Genova vs. Robertson
It was at the same Jan. 16 public hearing for the 58 West Hastings St. project when De Genova wondered whether the mayor promised in council chambers that a building be built at “100 per cent core-need rates” in the Downtown Eastside. Apparently, he hadn’t. Nor did he fulfill his promise to end “street homelessness” by 2015, De Genova writes in her motion. She wants council to direct staff to find “one or more sites of city-owned land in the Downtown Eastside appropriate for a development of a 10- to 12-storey building with 100 per cent of units to be rented at core-need rates…” And get this: De Genova suggests money allocated to the mayor’s 2018 budget could be used to help pay for it. Boom. Her motion is on Tuesday’s agenda but could get bumped to Wednesday.
