My story in this week’s Globe isn’t really focused on the point in my headline, but it is the change of most interest to those watching the plans for the airport mall. (Locals already know about the airport-mall plans from stories by me and others around Vancouver. This version was recast to explain it all to non-Vancouver audiences.)
I did also talk an official with MacArthur Glen in London to find out more about why the company chose Vancouver for its first-ever airport mall. His answer might provide some small comfort to those worried about the city turning into a resort community, because, as it turns out, being a resort community has its small upside. One of the company founders has a second or third or tenth home here and he noticed the ad from the Vancouver Airport Authority asking for development pitches for the land.
If only all our other visitors could bring us some business now.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Roger Kemble // Oct 19, 2012 at 4:07 pm
New airport Mall, new Tsawwassen mall, New Nordstom mall and on and on and on . . . this isn’t gonna last . . .
2 Glissando Remmy // Oct 19, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Before anyone says anything pro/contra on this subject I urge you to go lend/ buy and read the book “Aerotropolis” by John Kasarda & Greg Lindsay
http://www.amazon.com/Aerotropolis-The-Well-Live-Next/dp/B006OHUA0I
GR
3 Joe Just Joe // Oct 19, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Think it’s a better location then the previous proposed location. And hopefully it’s priced closely enough to the outlet malls across the border to keep Canadians at home. This project while questionable is still vastly better then the TFN mall being proposed.
4 Tessa // Oct 20, 2012 at 5:01 am
It may be a better location than previously proposed, but it’s still a bad idea. And this is hardly a benefit of being a resort town for the rich – it’s another downside.
So, Toronto develops industrial land around its airport that can be expected to bring in high-paying, high-quality, high-skilled industrial jobs for locals, whereas Vancouver builds a mall to pay locals minimum wage and sell to foreigners. This is a resort economy at its best – we’re exploiting our people and our city and our natural environment for the benefit of others, and we get shit minimum wage jobs because of it.
5 brilliant // Oct 20, 2012 at 9:29 am
How much money did the YVR authority waste clearing the original site before they figured this out? They’d do better spending time trying to stop the erosion of flyers to BLI and SEA.
6 mezzanine // Oct 20, 2012 at 1:38 pm
@Tessa,
So, Toronto develops industrial land around its airport that can be expected to bring in high-paying, high-quality, high-skilled industrial jobs for locals, whereas Vancouver builds a mall to pay locals minimum wage and sell to foreigners. This is a resort economy at its best – we’re exploiting our people and our city and our natural environment for the benefit of others, and we get shit minimum wage jobs because of it.
IMO, other factors are more important to bring higher level jobs that you describe to YVR – such as a VAT-style HST and whether the YVR pipeline gets built.
I am unsure if YYZ is doing anything unique otherwise to bring in high-paying, high-quality, high-skill industrial jobs.
http://www.torontopearson.com/en/gtaa/master-plan/#
7 Tessa // Oct 21, 2012 at 2:08 am
My point is that these different avenues of development can be expected to bring in different types of jobs, and while retail may make the airport and the backers a good sum of money those who actually work there won’t be able to afford much in the way of Vancouver rents. While industrial development will likely bring in less overall revenue for the airport it’s a win for regional jobs.
Apologies if my use of colourful language in the last post offends anyone – I hadn’t noticed I swore until after hitting the submit button.
8 mezzanine // Oct 21, 2012 at 11:01 am
@Tessa 7
I do agree we need to attract higher level jobs by YVR, but I am unsure by just marking yvr land industrial will get us there. Look at CoV’s false creek flats high-tech zoning and its loosening in ~2009 after 10 yrs of minimal results.
IMO another thing that YVR and regional/provincial governments can do to bring higher level jobs to the airport is to make YVR a foreign trade zone, which had success with winnipeg’s airport, as with edmonton’s Port Alberta.
http://www.centreportcanada.ca/free-trade-zone
9 Roger Kemble // Oct 22, 2012 at 6:28 am
“IMO another thing that YVR and regional/provincial governments can do to bring higher level jobs to the airport is to make YVR a foreign trade zone.”
Ummmmmm, mezzanine @ #8, what you are saying is that YVR should contribute to the myth of higher paying jobs by dedicating its land to enterprises already saturating the world markets.
An even better idea would be for YVR to stick to the business it knows best: air travel . . .
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