If the iconic East Van Cross was moved, where would it go?
The cross is a piece of public art made by Vancouver artist Ken Lum, who is also responsible for the small ships on top of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
In 2019, the city approved a new 10-storey building to be constructed on vacant property nearby the cross at 2102 Keith Dr. With the development underway, locals are waiting for an official decision regarding whether the cross will be moved.
In anticipation of a move, the East Village Business Improvement Association (EVBIA) started a petition to relocate the artwork to the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood - but not everyone agrees that's the right location.
"Over on Hastings and Sunrise– no way," says Neil Wyles, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association (MPBIA). "That's part of East Van but it's in the middle of East Van. It needs to be at the edge."
The cross currently sits on city-owned land at Clark Drive and East 6th Avenue but it was originally meant to be located on Main Street.
Lum originally envisioned his artwork to be propped up on Main where it meets Kingsway. The original blueprints dated Dec. 5, 2008, show a rendering of the East Van Cross where the artist had hoped it would be placed.
"If there's a chance that [the cross] is going to be moved, let's put it where it was supposed to go," says Wyles.
Wyles agrees that Main Street would be the best place to put the East Van Cross, explaining that the artwork should serve as a "big beautiful white beacon telling you that you've arrived in East Van."
However, he does have several suggestions for alternative locations, including the clock at Main Street and 8th Avenue and the old bus shelter on the corner of Kingsway and Broadway.
The bus shelter resembles a trolley cart and is covered with graffiti.
"We're getting it removed," says Wyles. "There's already a big concrete pad there. It's a city-owned corner. It's a perfect location."
