New park at Richards and Smithe set to get green light from Vancouver next week
Posted December 6, 2019 10:38 am.
Last Updated December 6, 2019 10:43 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A new, multi-level park is one step away from being built in downtown Vancouver.
A proposal to redevelop the parking lot at Smithe and Richards was approved three years ago. Now, all that remains is for the Park Board and city council to give a final thumbs up at a meeting next week and award the construction contract.
City Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung supports the idea.
“You know when people say we paved paradise and put up a parking lot? This is the opposite. I’m paving a parking lot and trying to deliver a great public space in the heart of downtown.”
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She says the park will get a lot of use.
“Just the sheer number of residents in the area as well as people that are working in the downtown core. There’s not a lot of access to quiet space in the area. I think it will be incredibly well-utilized.”
The design includes multiple levels with a cantilevered walkway, a large water feature and a playground. It will also have an overhead space reserved for public art.
Kirby-Yung’s one concern is that the price of the project has ballooned from the original proposal’s estimated $8 million to $14 million. She expects it will be given the green light next week, with the city setting a goal of opening the park within the next two years.
