B.C. Place: the private vision of the Socred elite Does anyone remember the “grand avenue of the provinces?”’ Along either side of it, tremendous, pompous pavilions would be erected by each of the provincial governments. That was vision. That was premier Bill Bennett on Jan. 29, 1980 telling the people of Vancouver that he had decided to purchase the north shore of False Creek from Marathon Realty — about 170 acres of land in the heart of downtown Vancouver — and turn it into something called B.C. Place. Bennett’s vision of B.C. Place was not yet in focus, but that didn’t stop him from ‘‘visualizing the possibility of parks, pavilions, shops, offices, restaurants and open public spaces along with the new Amphitheatre and other com- plexes where our industries and in- - stitutions can show the world how British Columbians work and play.” : This wasn’t the first vision that had been held for the north side of False Creek. Marathon had held its own grandiose plans for a com- prehensive commercial develop- ment which was also to have in- cluded about 10,000 people living in expensive apartments. | In 1974 Marathon had the False Creek land rezoned to allow for its planned developments, but first it had to make certain commitments to the city of Vancouver. Those commitments, laid out in a series of letters to then mayor Art Phillips, were for a housing mix of 25 per- cent low income housing, for about 30 acres of parks, a community centre, a school and a public seawall. Marathon’s project finally fell in under its own weight. There just wasn’t the demand for the ‘‘ex- ecutive city’ stuff it wanted on the Creek, and it wasn’t interested in what there was a demand for, namely low and middle income housing. Undeterred by Marathon’s brush with reality, the Socreds were sure they had a better way. March 26, 1980, deputy premier Grace McCarthy said that the govern- ment expected the federal govern- ment to grant ‘“‘hundreds of millions of dollars’’ in grants and tax breaks to private corporations. developing B.C. Place. ‘‘Any in- vestment would be returned ten- fold, and we would look on it as an investment and an opportunity for the private sector to become involv- ed,”’ said McCarthy. This project would not only show the world how British Col- umbians work and play, but how some use public projects to make enormous private profits. - To ensure that all of this would happen according to the vision, a crown corporation was established with sweeping powers to ex- propriate property not only in False Creek, but anywhere in the pro- vince. It was headed by retired developer Alvin Narod and includ- ed on the board of directors Mac- Millan Bloedel president Bruce Howe and Kaiser Resources, Edgar Kaiser Jr. What B.C. Place Corporation did not include was any representa- tion from the city of Vancouver, or any democratic input from the citizens of the city. It wasn’t until May that Van- couver city council received its first formal report on the subject, and then they were simply told that B.C. Place Corp. considered city regulatory and planning processes as ‘‘time consuming and negative.’’ However any sugges- tions the city might make would be “welcome.” There had still been not any public input when in early November the huge land swap with Marathon was announced, and a new set of plans for B.C. Place an- nounced. For the first time housing was in- cluded in the B.C. Place concept, up to 10,000 units. There would be two educational-tourist centres in the proposed Forest’ Centre and Arts and Science Centre. About 10 percent or 17-20 acres of land would be park space. Restaurants and office towers would be includ- ed, and the stadium would be built just to the west of the Georgia - Viaduct. One part of the vision had not changed — the profit. According to Narod, 80 percent of the developmerit would be private. That is the government would pay for servicing the land, for transfor- ming it from an old railway yard in- to some of the most valuable pro- perty in the city, and then sell it to private developers for what Ben- nett called ‘‘tremendous cost recovery.” In other words the price would be pegged at recovering costs, not the real value of the land. The housing will also be put out to tender to private developers, and that means it will also be out of the reach of ordinary people. ‘‘It isn’t our mandate to subsidize Ginger Goodwin Club Fraser Valley Club Vancouver Club Sorrento Club B.C. YoungC For a life with a future Sed ommunist League @ ages Se er 4G — GRC PACIFIC AGI oi DEC. 19, .1980— Sage 4 Reshaping the) mewn | GVRDin'81 | What is Narod’s mandate? Can he a play with the heart of Vancouver, There could be an enormous transformation in store for | — an area twice as large as the existi"® | Greater Vancouver in 1981 with the beginning of three large, inter | _ rode ak ahs oo a4 related and vital projects — rapid transit, the re-development ofthe | — a el 5 se : y BL. ns north side of False Creek, and a housing plan. rp. board, and premier Ben- But there could also be either little change at all, or aseriesof | — nett? 5 z . behomoth developments dumped on the region in a way which will i ee, ofthe | be both financially and socially debilitating. er wall & oa co Shale ael as With the Socred government’s recently announced so-called off f eee ened ee tee “urban strategy”’ it is the latter option being vigorously pursued. | — off for private developers? The Socred’s “‘strategy”’ consists of a political decision to ap- | _— The private vision of the elite running B.C. Place Corp. is just not good enough. The process prove an automated light rapid transit system to be constructed by 1986, the development of B.C. Place (False Creek) to be the site of Transpo, also in 1986, and a program to bring on stream up to must be opened up and ‘ Wdi i i itlam Oyeniccaroed wth the viene of ee |e bac a mostly in Port Coquitlam, Coqui Vancouver citizens playingamajor i. sonata eae By Stories by FRED WILSON In an open process there would be a rush of imaginative ideas for - re redeveloping False Creek, but there Under closer analysis, however, the Socred’s projects turn out would also be some basic and | tobe farlessa “strategy” to solve urgent social problems and much predictable demands. - more a thrown together series of political stunts. _ There would be an obvious de- If there is a strategy, as municipal officials throughout the mand for non-profit, family hous- GVRD are becoming aware, it is one of wiping out democratic local ing, and there would bea demand | government and running civic affairs from Victoria. The mayors, for an environment to complement aldermen and officials of Lower Mainland municipalities learned a family residential area. That | about the proposals in the same way that we did — by press release. would include schools, day care And while the Socred cabinet unilaterally proceeds with its services, parks. Restaurants, plans to re-shape important parts of Greater Vancouver, two im- tourist attractions and office portant legislative Acts await the Spring session of the legislature. towers would be seen for what they The Planning Act and Financial Administration Act threaten to are — superfluous. - strip municipal government of much authority, and relegatethem to There may also be a demand for subservient committees of the provincial government. places for people to work. Thereis |. 1981 could begin important changes for the Lower Mainland. room for industrial development at But the first change must be the restoration of civic democracy to the eastern end of the B.C. Place -| ensure that citizens, community groups and local governments have — their say in how their region will be developed. With the accompanying stories, the Tribune takes a closer look site and there is certainly room for some water related industries bet- |. at the prospects for rapid-transit, the continuing housing crisis and the plans for False Creek. p ween the Granville and Burrard bridges. Most of all there should be a de- ae mand to have a say. That is about the first demand that the new Van- couver city council should put to the Socred government and B.C. Teaco Grecia Place Corporation. from the : Amotion from COPE alderman a Bruce Eriksen will be before Van- Sampola A couver city council Jan. 5 calling for an impact study of the plans for False Creek. That would be a good first step. Senior Citizens _ = Branch 32 + Ukrainian Senior} § Citizen’s Club } Season's Greetings | To all members and friends ' of the Party in No. 1 Greater Vancouver 3 UNITE FOR PEACE extends AND SOCIALISM Greater Vancouver C'ttee! Communist Party 410 - 193 E. Hastings St., Vancouver — 684-4321 ¢ ¢ Season's Greetings 4 : & to all our members # and friends. Greetings for peace in 1981 to all our members, supporters and friends ‘‘People have the power to preserve | peace — our basic right.”’ - World Parliament of Peoples’ for Peace Sofia, Bulgaria Season’s Greetings to the B.C PROVINCIAL nee 5 V COMMITTEE Py) Svugosiev. COMMUNIST PARTY OF CANADA 4 Pensioners” ~ . y | Association” 684-4321 i, se a ie ag MUS Dts FEELS ‘ SN RN : ts UAE