Widespread media coverage about the controversial expansion of the Edgewater casino is overshadowing what is likely to be an equally controversial issue: a significant density hike along northeast False Creek, according to Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs.
Meggs told Business in Vancouver March 9 that, despite a front-page story in BIV about 10 proposed towers for the area (see “Rolling development dice” – issue 1113; February 22-28), most people remain unaware about the towers developers want to build.
These towers include:
- two Concord Pacific towers on the west side of the Cambie Bridge with a total of 543 units;
- two Concord Pacific towers on the east side of the Cambie Bridge with a total of 420 units;
- three Aquilini Group towers with a total of 463 residential units and 187,500 square feet of office space;
- a fourth Aquilini Group tower that would be a rental building and is not supported by city staff; and
- two Paragon Gaming Corp. hotel towers adjoining the proposed casino with a total of 647 suites.
Aquilini Group principal Francesco Aquilini told BIV February 14 that he wants to build his proposed towers regardless of whether Paragon Gaming’s casino gets civic approval.
In exchange for his towers’ approval, Aquilini is proposing to partner with Canadian Metropolitan Properties (CMP) to build a $50 million practice facility for the Vancouver Canucks on land owned by CMP that is currently the Plaza of Nations.
“I don’t think people in the rest of the city have a clue about what is being proposed by [CMP) and Aquilini – not that they would necessarily oppose it,” Meggs said. “[Future controversy will be] not so much the rink but the number of towers and the fact that the Plaza of Nations will be a cluster of a number of towers with a lot of density. That’s lost on people.”
He then alluded to how interest in these proposed towers development may suddenly become a public issue once renderings start to be released.
“The casino issue itself became a flashpoint quite late,” Meggs said. “I was surprised how quiet it was for a long time.”