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Company doing vertical garden in Vancouver says city councillor’s statements are inaccurate

November 22nd, 2012 · 26 Comments

I’ve temporarily removed my last blog post, which consisted almost entirely of a news release from NPA Councillor George Affleck, questioning a city contract given to Alterrus Systems.

Chair Stephen Fane and CEO Chris Ng just called me saying it has serious inaccuracies and citing some of them. In the interests of not repeating potentially bad information, I won’t say for the moment what they were. However, anyone who wants is free to look at said news release on the www.npavancouver.ca website.

I do find it odd they called me, rather than Affleck. They claimed that I am easier to get hold of than the city councillor. I’ve asked George what he has to say and am waiting for an answer.

If this were my own story and own reporting, I’d be quite comfortable leaving it up. As it’s someone else’s research and statement, I’m pulling it for the moment until I can check into the facts. I can’t get around to that immediately, as I’m working all night on another project.

 

Categories: Uncategorized

  • canadianveggie

    Wow. No wonder the NPA is floundering. My office looks over that parkade. For the past 3 years, the only cars I’ve ever seen parked on the roof were owned by two of my co-workers. The only reason they parked up there is so they could keep an eye on the vehicles from their desks to prevent theft. I’m pretty sure the floor below it has plenty of empty parking spaces. I’ll have to ask them tomorrow where they park now.

    What is the lost revenue from an empty parking spot? Glad the NPA is asking the tough questions.

  • Andrew Browne

    Read the press release. Presumably if they fail to pay their lease they can be evicted as with any other commercial tenant. Not sure why the NPA is picking this to complain about, it seems petty and strange. I mean, of all the possible ways they could pick at Vision, they choose THIS?

    Furthermore an RFP would be silly because they didnt want just any use on that roof, there is an interest in a low-nuisance use and and interest in causing some change in food distribution. It’s not like if a towing yard put up a higher rent we’d take it… Better some lease income and local food than empty parking stalls. Win win win.

  • IanS

    I saw a news story on Alterrus the other night. Looked like an interesting idea, but I wondered whether it was economically viable. Based on the financials, quite possibly not.

    Having said that, I’m not sure why the NPA has a complaint about this. Unless Vision is actually putting taxpayer money at risk, by making or guaranteeing loans or something like that, I don’t see a problem.

  • Andrew Browne

    If they go south on the lease we do have their tenant improvements (equipment purportedly worth $2M) as collateral that could be seized, similar to the contents of a retail unit. *shrug*

    This is why political lenses are bad. They’re all excited about… what, exactly? In their haste to score a point against Vision they didn’t stop to examine whether they were making something out of nothing.

  • Ned

    Frances,
    “I do find it odd they called me, rather than Affleck.”
    That’s right. Why? let’s speculate…
    They first called Ballem, who redirected their calls to you, for better impact… as she knows, when it comes to “Vision news”, your blog is the most trusted and … the only blog approved inside Council quarters.
    They want to put plants on a parking structure, wow, better hang fresheners on a bum.

  • brilliant

    Funny the city didn’t see fit to prevent Avalon Dairy from leaving, yet are all over this project. And pssst Gregor, there are some real farms a figurative stones throw from Vancouver. Is this the best use of downtown land?

  • Terry M

    Wow! Wow! And Woooooowyyy!
    Another symbolic measure from this council and city administration (basically the same people). paint the whole city green already, so silly!

  • Andrew Browne

    What are you all complaining about? They took a non-productive piece of a parkade and allowed a use on it – creating revenue where there was once none. What are you blathering on about?

  • Dan Cooper

    Andrew Browne inquires, “What are you blathering on about?”

    I believe you are hearing one of the the traditional ovine chants: “Four legs good; two legs bad” when ‘your’ people are on one side of the issue or, “Four legs good; two legs better” when on the other. Really, though, it comes to the same thing.

    (Too snarky?)

  • Joe Just Joe

    I don’t have an issue with this… depending on the rate being charged for the space. If the city is making more then it was was as a parking lot and those stalls aren’t needed then I’m fine with it. In fact they could do the same on the top level of the gastown parkade the only cars up there normally are the Car2Go cars.

  • Bill

    While this deal looks like a complete waste of time and ideologically motivated, the NPA are wasting their efforts if the matters raised in their news release are all they’ve got. I doubt if there is much of an opportunity cost in leasing part of the parkade and if the only risk to the City is not collecting the rent then there isn’t much of a story here.

  • Mira

    Vertical garden?
    Just look at that joke of a … “horizontal garden” next to BC Place. Tax grab for some, kick in the behind for others.
    War on cars is alive and kicking. What’s next, bring horses and carriage on the main streets as “traffic calming” measures? 🙂

  • Dan Cooper

    p.s. @Andrew B.: The ‘your’ in my post above is not referring to you but to those – of any stripe – who simply oppose, or support, everything proposed by a particular party. Re-reading, it occurred to me I could have chosen a more clear word there.

  • gman

    WOW……These guys burned through 53 million dollars in the development stages….huh……to develop what some trays that move,because they sure didn’t develop hydroponics.And then they put it in a cheap poly greenhouse….organic butter lettuce wholesales for about 3.50 a pound right now I think.Well one thing for sure is these guys are going to need a lot of lettuce.
    http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/Rooftop+greenhouse+grower+secures+high+market+greens/7572632/story.html

  • brilliant

    @Andrew Browne 8-if its not needed as a parkade redevelop it.

  • gman

    And I’m not sure what the problem is relating to what Affleck said.If you go to the Alterrus site and click on investors you can bring up SEDAR and judge for yourself.
    http://www.alterrus.ca/investors/investor-relations/

    I personally could care less if they grow arugula or alligators as long as they pay the lease.But I don’t know what the lease is…..anybody?
    One thing I do know is according to my highly scientific study that involved counting cars on google earth (by the way the lot was fairly full) is that if the top floor was rented to parking at the day plus night rate at 100% capacity it would generate $246375 and of coarse that would be unrealistic,but moonbeams photo op…….priceless.

  • Edward

    I didn’t catch the temporarily available post, but the thing that I’m most curious about is why a journalist would write a blog post that consists “almost entirely of a news release,” regardless of who the release came from? I’m trying to assume the most honourable intent, but it sometimes it seems like you let a little personal bias show, even if the bias is simply for controversy. Maybe reposting press releases without critical analysis isn’t the best way to inspire confidence?

  • Frances Bula

    @Edward. When I learn how to clone myself and have the time to unleash a crack team of researchers (my other self) onto every squib that comes across my desk, I will do that. As it is, I do what I can in my approximately 10 hours a day. If you have tips on how I can be more efficient, most gratefully received. I put up lots of news releases verbatim online here, so that people can at see what news is emerging as soon as it happens. I simply don’t have the time to go into everything that floods across my screen. Also, I think you are confusing blogs, which can be collections of all kinds of things for people to comment on, with a newspaper story or magazine piece that I would have the time (and be paid) to spend considerable effort on.

  • teririch

    This company is not the first, or only, working on vertical gardening.

    There is another company in North Vancouver that has set up a prototype ETF dome in Surrey.

    The difference between the two – the Surrey protoype is weather resistant and portable. It works well in remote areas – cold weather climates.

    They are recieving interest from northern communities where fresh and affordable produce is hard to come by.

    It allows for year round growing and a 3,000 sq ft unit can provide vast amounts of food.

    The cost is not cheap at this point- you arelooking at $300+K however, they are looking at lease options to communites.

  • Everyman

    @Fabula 19
    And we’re glad you do : )
    (most of us anyway)

  • Frank Ducote

    Converting ubiquitous parkades to food production is a wonderful thing and a suitable precedent for future urban evolution and urban Arming, without fancy and costly “Vertical farms”. I’m glad to see Vancouver has made a start here. There can only be more of the same as time goes on.

    Parking lots at suburban malls may be next, car lovers. Be afraid, be very afraid.

  • Frank Ducote

    Make that “urban farming”. My bad.

  • brilliant

    ^ Its times like this Frances needs a rolleyes emoticon.

  • Guest

    The newspaper said they are selling specialty greens to the high end restaurants that demand fresh, fresh produce – so they probably stand a chance of success given the prices at those restaurants – even if you double the retail price of some produce, that’s probably only a minicule fraction of the pricve cahrged in the restaurant.

  • Frances Bula

    @brilliant. Do you mean something like this? =(@)|(@)=

  • ThinkOutsideABox

    @Frances …not so sure that’s the rolling eyes emoticon….