Vancouver City Council recently released more details on a pilot project that will turn a stretch of the Granville Entertainment District (GED) into a vehicle-free zone for better access to temporary patios, public seating, art and musicians.
Dubbed the Granville Street Promenade, council passed a resolution supporting the idea last month approving the event to take place between Smithe and Helmcken streets. Last week council announced the event would take place on Saturday and Sunday only for six consecutive weeks, starting July 24. With set up starting at 8 a.m. and tear down completed by 10 p.m., that’s 14 hours of no personal vehicles including taxis or busses able to travel through the area.
After the motion was passed in June, council staff were asked to work with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA). Since then the DVBIA has confirmed they will take on the responsibility for the costs of programming and managing the events within the Promenade zone.
However, the city's engineering staff have been in discussion with the DVBIA regarding the potential cost for the street closure and other city-related services which, based on current plans, are estimated at $102,500. Due to the unique nature of the event and budget constraints, council reports it falls outside special event funding options already in place and as such is recommended to be funded with council contingency money.
The 2021 Budget included a $2 million council contingency, which has historically been set aside for unanticipated one-time costs related to external events. The contingency could be used to fund costs related to the unique events of this past year, given the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the community.
