Frances Bula header image 2
← →

Mayor Robertson: “City is exploring ways to support the Waldorf continuing as one of Vancouver’s most unique and vibrant cultural spaces

January 9th, 2013 · 11 Comments

Statement from Mayor Gregor Robertson:

The Waldorf closing is a big loss to Vancouver’s growing creative community. They built a great culture hub, and it’s my hope that they’ll be able to re-launch and return in some form in the near future. Supporting Vancouver’s dynamic arts and culture sector is a top priority of our City Council, and the City is exploring ways to support the Waldorf continuing as one of Vancouver’s most unique and vibrant cultural spaces.

Additional background from the Mayor’s Office:

The site at 1489 East Hastings is currently zoned for mixed-use commercial purposes, not residential development. Any change in zoning would require extensive neighbourhood consultation and approval by City Council.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • waltyss

    Well, Mayor, how about by drawing a line in the sand starting with the Waldorf that the city will NOT, I repeat, NOT, permit rezoning of those properties ot residential.
    Over Christmas, we were Portland and once again loved it. As my daughter observed to a friend, its a city that all looks the better parts of Main (above Broadway) and Commercial. We want fewer if Rennie’s condos and more of the old, slightly dilapidated, funky buildings at least somewhere. Hell, you drive down to Bellingham (even Blaine) and you see old Victorian houses. Vancouver has destroyed them all and we are into a third generation beyond that.
    Yes, we need more densification; but preferably gentle densification. But we also need a balance between the suburban new look and our past, left to people to improve on a preceding base.
    Mr. Mayor, City Council is part of the problem but can be part of the solution. Limit rezoning and balance new development with preservation fo the old.

  • Nicholas Ellan

    The City just rezoned an entire block across the street from the Waldorf for condo development. It’s no surprise other landowners want in on the action. Do you really think that this council is going to suddenly turn around and say no to this rezoning?

  • Cheezwiz

    Not optimistic about this one, I’m afraid. Given how completely tone-deaf they have been to the wishes of residents in various neighborhoods, I think it’s unlikely they’ll block this development. Developers have the keys to our city, and council simply does their bidding.

  • Maude

    A city losing what little cultural soul it has.

    This is all preventable:

    1) Loosen archaic regulations which place onerous and unnecessary burdens on people that would like to operate live music venues/performance spaces and liquor primary establishments.

    2) Let sensible people dictate the pace of things – not the whiniest anti-social city-dwellers who complain about adult cultural events (like jazz music) which go past 1:00 am. They seem to have the last word in this city.

    And now we have very very very few interesting, alternative live music or performance spaces for adults.

    Vancouver: you can only really on your natural beauty for so long.

    PS: During the ‘free for all’ comment thread over the Christmas break I noted the city has not organized any type of public event to celebrate NYE – no chance for us adults all to enjoy champagne together in ringing in the new year. Though there were well over 100 comments on the open thread, not a single person commented on this or saw it as an issue.

  • Randy Chatterjee

    More industrial land lost to condo development?! Wasn’t it one of the stated purposes of the newly-minted Regional Growth Strategy to end even the possibility of such rezonings, and the permanent loss of the only affordable locations for job creation in this city?
    Will Vancouver just become another jet-setter bedroom community of…LA, HK, or KL? Will there ever be any sustainable, value-adding employment concentration in Vancouver?
    If not, then our future will look more like Detroit than San Francisco. And the sad thing is that urban agriculture is booming in Detroit, and not so much here…try as we might as our city paves over our oldest and largest community garden.
    And I don’t even want to begin to try to lament the loss of all of the vibrant artistic ferment and exposition that was the legacy of the Waldorf.
    And the worst thing is that condos aren’t even selling anymore. The Waldorf will close its doors and nothing will take its place.

  • Threadkiller

    At last we finally find out where Robertson’s line in the sand is. Let’s talk about “cultural spaces” for a moment, Mr. Mayor. The Ridge and Park Theatres will soon be lost to development, as have innumerable heritage-worthy buildings in this city both residential and commercial; the Hollywood Theatre closed more than a year ago, as has the Granville 7, rendering the Film Festival essentially homeless; the Playhouse folded, small businesses all over the city– including many culturally-related businesses, such as bookstores (at least seven have closed in the past year alone)– are being forced to give up the ghost thanks in large part to ever-rising rents brought on, in part, by an unrelenting civic property tax structure that makes no effort whatsoever to mitigate its impact on culturally valuable properties; while the same factors are leaving artists needing studio space in this city running from pillar to post trying to stay ahead of the wrecking ball– and let’s see, what have I left out–? –All this while Gregor and his lack-of-Visionistas, more than ever resembling their NPA predecessors, stand idly by, nodding, smiling and doffing their hats while their developer buddies cruse by in their Bentleys. –And now this hypocritical airhead son of a bitch is wailing piteously about the impending loss of a friggin’ BAR?!? All sympathies to the patrons of the Waldorf, but they’re just the latest in a large and growing assemblage of folks in this town who have or soon will be losing something of considerable cultural value to unchecked and unmitigated market forces.

    You know, in Paris, bookstores that need it are eligible for financial and other forms of support from the City of Paris, which recognizes them as cultural assets of value to the community. Here we operate on purely Darwinian principles. It’s not often I get the desire to express a political opinion by kicking a certain politician right square in the nuts, but hey… welcome to Parvenuver, where, in the words of Bob Dylan, “money doesn’t talk, it swears”.

  • tracebuster

    The Park Theatre closing as well?

  • Dirtalley

    Right on, Threadkiller.

  • Eileen Mosca

    The Waldorf is in Grandview-Woodland which is in the process of creating a community plan. City staff have held numerous meetings,workshops and open houses , many of which I have attended.
    The terms of the community plans include the commitment that no rezoning applications will be granted during the community plan process. In theory this is to ensure that rezonings will align with the final plan.
    One point made repeatedly by participants in the process has been the need to preserve and increase the number of arts and performance spaces in Grandview-Woodland.
    So allowing a rezoning to residential and destroying a vibrant venue in the community seems to undercut the integrity of the community plan process. ( I know after your neighbourhood’s experience this will not surprise you Frances!)

    On another post, I’d like to point out that the Gourmet Warehouse, rather than being a force for gentrification of the neighbourhood, has been a neighbourhood fixture for many years. It started out as a warehouse on Pandora just off Victoria Drive and when it expanded it stayed in the area when conditions were far worse than they are now.
    It began as part of a real warehouse used by a food importer, one of many such warehouses in the area….not as a cutting edge gentrifier looking to change the neighbourhood.

  • Threadkiller

    @tracebuster:
    The Park will be around for a while yet, but not a long while. I’ll be surprised if it makes it through 2013: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/park-movie-houses-last-picture-show-inevitable/article4607901/

  • Stephanie

    Vancouver has a “growing creative community”? In what parallel universe is the Mayor living? Our artists are fleeing to Toronto and Montreal. They can’t afford to live, work, or exhibit here.