VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A two-day vote begins Monday for members of the Squamish First Nation, who've been asked to endorse a new business plan, which calls for two towers at the south-west end of the Burrard Street Bridge.
The rental high-rises would be located between the bridge and Vanier Park, which is Squamish territory.
Chief Gibby Jacob won't say how high they envision them to be, but says one of the towers would provide much-needed monthly revenue.
"The way we're proposing to go forward, we will own the second tower 100 per cent. I like to call it my Squamish Nation's ATM. It'll be like plugging the card in every month and getting money out," he insists.
Jacob calls the towers an exciting prospect for the band. "It's our first venture into developing our lands. We have a number of developments like Park Royal South, for instance, which represent a more passive role for us where we just collect a yearly lease. But in these ones, we'll be doing a heck of a lot more, which is exciting."
The band council and its 2,400 adult members will be casting ballots Monday and Wednesday. Once the vote is tabulated, the first nation will share its findings with the City of Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver is already well aware of the plans. If the project goes through, the band would have to work with the city for water and sewer services, and to discuss impacts on the neighbourhood and traffic.