What’s in the False Creek Flats’ future?

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If we told you there were 450 acres of prime real estate waiting for redevelopment just outside the downtown core, would you believe it?

The City of Vancouver wants to revitalize the False Creek Flats as a major “green industry” employment zone and transportation hub.

The public portion of the planning process kicked off last night with food, drinks and tours of the area, which is the future home of the new St. Paul’s Hospital, Emily Carr University’s main campus, and a stop on the proposed Broadway-UBC subway line.

There is also talk of a new arterial route into the downtown core.

“We have to look at better east-west connections. We’re looking for a replacement to the Prior Street connection into downtown,” says Brian Jackson, Vancouver’s manager of planning and development.

But Jackson says whatever happens to the area — bounded by Prior and Venables streets to the north, Clark Drive to the east, Great Northern Way to the south, and Main Street to the west — it will include the railyards.

“It is absolutely imperative that the rail infrastructure remains because it provides for the national, international and regional movement of people and goods into the downtown. It’s really important that people understand that it’s going to be there for some time,” he tells News1130.

“We are looking at opportunities for north-south connections, whether it’s pedestrian or vehicular, across the rail tracks as well. We are trying to balance the desire of people to get through the area with desire to create an important employment area for the city.”

Jackson says the False Creek Flats planning process will help develop “a comprehensive vision for future land use and transportation directions for the area, with a real focus on employment creation linked to the ‘Healthy City’ and ‘Greenest City’ strategies and the desire for high tech jobs in the city.”

To do that, the city is gathering input from the public and consulting with the industrial, rail and business stakeholders in the Flats.

One thing that is absent from the planned redevelopment is residential, and Jackson says that is very much by design.

“We have lots of opportunities for condos in Vancouver. We have to make sure that our industrial areas are protected so that we have places for jobs for all those people who are moving to Vancouver.”

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