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Concord purchase of central industrial site has everyone in a flap

April 13th, 2016 · 15 Comments

It’s amazing how much interest there has been in Vancouver’s beer factory at the south end of the Burrard Bridge.

Ever since Molson announced it was being sold, there’s been speculation about the buyer and the price and the future.

It’s not the first time Vancouver’s west side has gone through this. For you youngsters, the decision to close the Carling O’Keefe brewery at Arbutus and 12th in the early 1990s resulted in one of the most exhausting brawls in the history of the planning department, as residents resisted any form of development that they thought wouldn’t fit in with the primarily residential neighbourhood.

It’s going to be just as tough this time, as the whole region is focused on trying to preserve industrial land, whatever that means on a piece of land in the middle of one of the more expensive cities on the continent.

Here’s the story about the news that Concord Pacific bought the land, with plans for some kind of “sustainable mixed-use development” and my follow-up on what councillors and urban-land specialists think should or will happen.

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  • leechap

    You mean the south end of the Burrard Bridge. I would not foresee any problem with Concord in concert with Council developing that site in any manner they wish. The planning/development process has been streamlined considerably since the Carlings project. Planners who don’t toe the line will be sent packing and public consultation has been reduced by Vision Vancouver to a series of formalities that don’t impede the progress of a project in any way. The bulldozer flattens everything that gets in it’s path.

  • Morven

    The city’s planning policies now resemble an inchordate animal – no backbone, just a hardened shell.
    -30-

  • Kirk

    I understand the professor’s concerns and his thoughts on keeping it for high-tech. But, comparing Vancouver to Seattle and San Francisco doesn’t sit well with me.

    Setting aside land did not make those to cities into tech powerhouses. It was a combination of smart, creative people, lots of VC funding, entrepreneurs, good universities, critical mass, big companies who spun off little companies, etc. These things are all more important than just providing a few buildings. Seattle and Amazon only recently started building in South Lake Union. The tech boom started in the suburbs of Redmond/Bellevue first. Silicon Valley started on agricultural land.

    As for the Molson site, my bet is on a handful of towers sitting on top of the world’s most luxurious Lamborghini dealer. I’m sure they’ll tie in the Arbutus “bikeway” somehow. I even have a name picked out, “The Canadian”.

  • peakie

    The Carling OKeefe brewery on Lougheed at Boundary became a bakery and then Jessel BMW. Doesn’t have to change semi-industrial use.

  • Look Deeper

    While I don’t have any particular concerns about this specific site, this transaction is a concrete demonstration that zoning in Vancouver now means next to nothing. We have no plan for the City. Any property can be repurposed regardless of existing zoning. This is the consequence of our spot-rezoning policy.

    Developers with the ability to work the corridors feel confident that they can get zoning changed — no one makes this level of investment unless they convinced they will get a return. Concord is a smart company not prone to mistakes.

    This adhoc rezoning approach favours the large developers with large projects and the financial resources to go through the rezoning process. Medium and small developers are severely disadvantaged.

    While it is tempting to blame our civic leaders for this state of affairs, we are addicted to the CAC revenue stream and we are getting what we are (not) paying for — that is, in order to keep our taxes lower, Vancouver has been turned into one big development site. Forget neighbourhoods, forget planning, forget a balance between residential and industrial, forget smaller scale row housing, say hello to any development that will generate CACs, say hello to towers every where, say hello to large scale development that masquerades as transportation planning (Broadway line).

    Do we have a “Planning Department” or do we have a publicly funded, public-sector “Developer” tasked to generate a targeted value of CACs per year? I wonder.

  • logan5

    The industrial area south of Molson’s has not been redeveloped. The Mt. Pleasant industrial lands have been preserved, and look destined to become home to a surging tech industry. Then there’s the False Creek Flats that are earmarked for job space. So there is a pretty large supply of land set aside for “industry”, and all within the Metro Core.

  • boohoo

    I agree with some of what you say, but when you say ‘forget neighbourhoods…forget smaller scale row housing…’ that’s just silly.

    Ridiculous exaggeration to make your point defeats your valid concerns.

  • Norman12

    “The city will give us what we want.” The mantra of the developers. Sure, there will be a “process”. Bend over.

  • Kenji

    Much better than “the Beer Shits”

  • Norman12

    That’s no exaggeration. Neighbourhoods and the concept of a liveable city no longer get a mention by anyone at council. They look at neighbourhoods and calculate the potential density.

  • boohoo

    That’s just silly. You take away from legitimate concerns and issues when you make dumb exaggerations to make your point.

  • Norman12

    I just said it to see if you’re still compelled to have the last word. But it’s no exaggeration.

  • A Taxpayer

    “Hyperbole is the use of obvious and deliberate exaggeration. Hyperbolic statements are often extravagant and not meant to be taken literally. These statements are used to create a strong impression and add emphasis.”

    http://www.literarydevices.com/hyperbole/

    I am surprised that someone who appears to be the product of a liberal arts education would need reminding of this. Besides, commenting on how someone expresses their point rather than the point itself really doesn’t add much to the discussion.

  • Everyman

    Is there seriously anyone, even the most ardent Vision supporter here, who doubts Concord will get exactly what they want? Seriously, how overdue are they with required park for NE False Creek?

  • Norman12

    Exactly.