On February 13, Vancouver City Council voted to move forward with a bold plan for Northeast False Creek that will revitalize the waterfront neighbourhood, reconnect Chinatown and Hogan’s Alley to the rest of the downtown core, and deliver record amounts of social housing and the biggest new public park in 30 years.
The scope of the plan comprises 10 per cent of the entire downtown core, and has been shaped by feedback from more than 17,500 residents over several years.
“Vancouver has a strong history of forward-thinking decisions that have shaped our city and helped make Vancouver such a great place to live,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The plan to remove the viaducts and deliver a new neighbourhood in Northeast False Creek is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to correct historic injustices and build a more inclusive city. This is a transformative project for the last remaining waterfront in Vancouver’s downtown.”
The Northeast False Creek plan will see a sweeping expansion—the largest seen in 30 years—in new and renewed parks and open space. The nearly 32 acres of parks and open space will include the new 11-acre Creekside Park, which will serve as a destination park for all Vancouverites to enjoy.
In addition, Northeast False Creek will also be home to a variety of new community facilities and amenities, including an ice rink, community centre, and arts pavilion. The plan delivers more than 1,800 new affordable homes throughout the neighbourhood, one of the largest additions of social housing in B.C.’s history.
A revitalized and well-connected Northeast False Creek will create opportunities for reconciliation and cultural redress, and strengthen connections with Chinatown and the historic heart of Vancouver’s Black Community, Hogan’s Alley. The plan also includes new cultural gathering spaces, conserving and commemorating living heritage in Chinatown, and reconnecting Chinatown and Hogan’s Alley with the rest of the downtown core.
The draft plan for Northeast False Creek was made public last summer, and was presented to Council on January 31 st. In response to comments made from members of the public, Council today approved several amendments to the plan, including:
- Requesting an option for all of the residential floor space on the two new City blocks east and west of Main Street on Prior to be 100 per cent rental housing, with a report back on financial implications;
- Upgrades to the Chinese Cultural Center to be included as part of the off-site amenities;
- Renaming the area known as “Northeast False Creek” with an indigenous name to be determined through discussions with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations;
- Implementing a Chinatown Cultural District as part of seeking a UNESCO designation of World Heritage Site for Chinatown;
- Establishing a retail strategy for the two Main Street blocks that is responsive to the cultural heritage of the area.
***
Learn more about Northeast False Creek, and view the final plan, at www.vancouver.ca/nefc.
