Island Corridor Foundation Announces Tentative Agreement that Promises the Return of Passenger Rail to Vancouver Island

Island Corridor Foundation announced this morning at a press conference at the Train Station on Selby Street in Nanaimo that there is a tentative agreement between the ICF, Southern Rail and Via that promises the return of passenger rail to Vancouver Island. Needs ratification, if approved it will free up $20 million in fed, provincial and regional district funds to begin rail and bridge repair. That work is expected to take 9 months. There is the possibility of passenger service into the city-owned Wellcox property on the waterfront.

From vibrantvictoria.ca — Dockside Green Mega-Project Goes Back to the Drawing Board

The 15-acre Dockside Green development in Victoria’s Vic West neighbourhood remains idle nearly 5 years after the second of multiple phases was completed in 2009.

Midway through the previous decade when Dockside Green initially got off the ground then-development partner Windmill West, hand-in-hand with current owner VanCity Credit Union, anticipated full build-out of the 1.3-million square meter LEED® Platinum Certified mixed-use mega-project by 2015 with some 2,500 residents calling the neighbourhood home.

Despite global publicity for its bold plans to build the “greenest” development anywhere in the world and the rapid pace of construction early on, Dockside Green lost its momentum shortly after the economic collapse of 2008 and unlike other projects in the region, never recovered. More at: Dockside Green mega-project goes back to the drawing board

Nanaimo South Downtown Waterfront Initiative

The South Downtown Waterfront Initiative is a long term planning project in Nanaimo, led by the South Downtown Waterfront Committee. This process involves developing visions and opportunities for this complex and challenging property that extend 20 to 30 years into the future. 

Read more: Nanaimo South Downtown Waterfront Initiative: HOME

See also: Wellcox Railyards 

Project maps out #Nanaimo waterfront development path @cityspaces http://t.co/cNp2Tgiutn
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) August 13, 2013

Draft agenda of #Nanaimo south downtown waterfront committee meeting July 16 http://t.co/JgIvUhz8Ee

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) July 14, 2013

North Vancouver's New City Hall, Nanaimo's New City Hall Annex — Let's Compare

The new North Vancouver City Hall proclaims itself to be "A Community Space". The architect talks of its innovation, "celebrating the importance of wood", the Manager of City Facilities talks of a "wow factor",  the consulting engineer explains the structural innovation, a resident talks of the building being "welcoming" and the beginning of "a whole new phase for the city".

Nanaimo has just completed construction of a City Hall Annex building. The project stemmed from an engineering report cautioning that the previous building fell well short of earthquake readiness. Previous to this report the need for a new facility had not been identified as a priority. Nevertheless, the construction of any large capital project gives rise to the opportunity to leverage progress towards urban renewal and economic development goals. The site chosen was a City owned parking lot directly across from the 1951 City Hall in what is known as the Quennell Square precinct. The project happened quickly and without consultation with stakeholders and without a long called for and badly needed master plan for this remarkable inner city site. The project could have been a catalyst for the renewal of other precincts including the Terminal Avenue ravine and the Wellcox waterfront railyards.

If the architects are proud of their work here, they've left no indication on their website: Only this rendering which barely resembles the completed building. There are also no boasts that I've been able to find coming from the local construction contractor, the consulting engineer, local newspapers, senior City Management, City Councillors or citizens.

In terms of scale and integration with its neighbours the building is, uhh... insensitive. Look at it from Franklyn St (above and below) and see how harshly it relates to its heritage craftsman and Victorian neighbours. And how the pretty little 1950s City Hall now looks kind of silly sitting in its shadow.

A building got built. That's about all. No contribution to urban renewal, to the building of community, to enhancing the neighbourhood and I really am at a loss to explain it. The inescapable conclusion seems to be that this is the result of a bankruptcy of vision and ambition. Not surprisingly no one here is speaking of celebrating this lifeless building as "A Community Space", with an innovative "wow factor",  "welcoming" and the beginning of  "a whole new phase for the city".

Post script: The original building which was essentially condemed by an engineering report and vacated by the City has been purchased for $1 by a local engineering/contracting firm. As part of the sale, the City, in addition has agreed to pay the purchasing firm $40,000, the equivalent to two years worth of property tax and the purchaser must complete upgrades to render the building 60 per cent compliant with the seismic requirements or demolish the building within the first two years of taking ownership.

In fairness, it's not true that the project makes no contribution to inner city public space. At the rear of the building (with a view of a parking lot) there's this:

City Councillor George Anderson Asked for Thoughts re Nanaimo's Participation in the Construction of a 5m Seat Multiplex Arena:

San Francisco Giants AT&T Stadium

George, 3 thoughts on the building of a multiplex arena in Nanaimo.

1. It would be broadly popular I imagine but I think you've shown on other issues that popularity on its own doesn't necessarily translate into good public policy. Any decision should be based on substantial supportive data. A multiplex may in fact have a positive economic impact on Nanaimo but a truly independent objective appraisal should be sought. At this point neither commercial proponents nor financiers have indicated that on its own there's a strong business case for a multiplex. That doesn't mean there isn't a valid role for the City to play. I assume —and hope —that a multiplex 100% constructed and run by the City is a non-starter politically and economically. Which leaves partnering with for-profit business interests and brings me to -

2. The business end of pro sports. These folks can be expected to be tough negotiators, to see the business world as a kind of poker game. They're not averse to playing one city off against another to their own best advantage. I'd want to be confident that where I and my fellow tax payers go up against them at the negotiating table, my representatives are every bit as tough and savvy, prepared to call a bluff and if need be walk away. I wish I saw more evidence of that when shopping mall and residential developers apply for zoning variance and building permits here in Nanaimo. In my view, the City's role should be limited to leasing a property to the operator with full security held as any bank would. A percentage of the revenues generated should be held in reserve to cover considerable costs incurred at the end of the building's life span when ownership would revert to the City.

And 3. This one I consider the most important of all and worry that it won't get the high priority attention it deserves. When a new building is built or an area renewed there's the opportunity — responsibility in fact — to make a contribution to building community, to enhancing our neighbourhoods. Arenas and stadia surrounded by hundreds of surface parking stalls are notoriously destructive to a sense of community, of "place".  Here's a rare example of a major league baseball stadium that contributed to the enhancement and development of its immediate neighbourhood (the San Francisco waterfront after an earthquake collapsed the elevated expressway) including greatly increased property values. http://www.sftravel.com/sanfranciscogiants.html The Embarcadero went from an area of derelict warehouses to a prosperous desirable neighbourhood. Hint: don't come by car. Transit options are plentiful and high quality and there's much else to see and do in the area, best experienced on foot. I'd suggest that an ambitious upgrade to our transit system (Bus Rapid Transit dedicated bus lines north and south on Nichol/Terminal and along Bowen/Comox supported by smaller buses feeding into neighbourhoods and key spots like the BC Ferry Terminal at Departure Bay) should be a deal breaker. 

City of Nanaimo to Purchase 26.7 Acre Downtown Waterfront Rail Yards

Pending an environmental review, the City of Nanaimo have announced an agreement with Canadian Pacific to purchase its rail yards. The area was excluded from the 2008 Downtown Urban Design Plan and Guidelines and piecemeal redevelopment of Port Place immediately to the north has proceeded without a master plan for this area.

Redevelopment of these brownfields holds great potential of course but considering a track record here of opportunities lost over the last 10 years I fear the worst. Council will be asked to approve a budget for a "master plan [which] will include not just the land we’re buying but all of the CP lands and the waterfront lands,” says the City's GM Development Ted Swabey. The area should be the subject of a Design Competition geared to attracting top Planning and Architectural talent and badly needed fresh ideas.

There is an agreement in place with the Regional District to collaborate with them on a transit hub. The Snuneymuxw First Nation's reserve lands are to the immediate south and they hold both treaty rights and land purchase options which will directly effect the redevelopment of the site. The Island Corridor Foundation who own the rail line and stations on south and central Vancouver Island are among others who hold land rights and rights of way. 

Scariest prospect of all a popular idea for a 5,000 seat multiplex. There simply does not seem to be either the Planning talent or the political will here to, if this goes ahead, create anything other than a piece of brutal architecture floating in acres of surface parking doing  damage to existing downtown neighbourhoods. Much lip service has been offered here about making "place not space" with appropriated urbanspeak aside, nothing meaningful to show for it.

Here's City Councillor Fred Pattje re the Port Place plans proceeding without a master plan for the southern waterfront:

“This is not proper urban planning in my view,” he said. “The Nanaimo Port Authority wants to do something significant with the assembly wharf and the Snuneymuxw have an interest in the Wilcox property. This whole area is Nanaimo’s last urban frontier and there’s no connection in the planning for any of it, so eventually we’ll end up with something really unpleasant."

City of Nanaimo news release

Nanaimo News Bulletin report Dec 14, 2012 City purchases waterfront rail yard downtown

Staff Report to Council Dec 17 2012