Over the past 30 years, events ranging from Expo 86 and the referendum on the 2010 Winter Games to the original development and current refurbishment of BC Place have taught us all the importance and value of a good public debate when it comes to shaping our city and province.
However, while I understand the passionate feelings on both sides regarding the proposed hotel, entertainment and casino project adjacent to BC Pavilion, I’m concerned that fact and fiction have become blurred as emotions boil over.
As part of its plans to upgrade BC Place and replace the roof after nearly 28 years, PavCo carried out an extensive and detailed request for proposals (RFP) process related to its lands on the west side of the stadium, in part to help pay for the upgrade. It was a long process, not the two weeks I’ve heard from some opponents.
When we went looking for the right proposal, we were following Vancouver’s longtime emphasis on further developing the area around BC Place and Rogers Arena as an entertainment zone or precinct. After an extensive RFP process, Paragon’s hotel, entertainment and casino proposal was selected, providing PavCo with $6 million per year over a 70-year lease, with cost-of-living increases after the first 10 years. The project will also provide the City of Vancouver with $23 million annually ($17 million in revenue and $6 million in property taxes), and some $224 million to the province of B.C.
In addition, while the Paragon proposal adds two hotels, conference facilities, restaurants and retail shops, it really amounts to moving Paragon’s Edgewater facility across the street to the BC Place site, albeit with an expansion. But, it’s an expansion where the casino amounts to just 14% of the overall project. At 110,000 square feet, the casino is about the size of a single football field, not two, as some opponents keep repeating.
I understand the feelings of those who are opposed to gambling. Gambling already exists here in British Columbia and thousands of our fellow British Columbians enjoy it responsibly, as do visitors to our city and province. Gambling provides government with valuable revenue that is spent on health, education, social services and arts and culture. But to say that the Paragon proposal will turn Vancouver into Vegas is, frankly, laughable and a pretty big stretch of the imagination, even for those most opposed.
As Paragon has consistently pointed out, its projects are always designed to fit the local market. It has no interest in importing Vegas to Vancouver.
Some other important facts about the project:
- estimated construction jobs: 5,500;
- 1,900 jobs once operating;
- $538 million in economic activity annually;
- 10% commitment to hire from Downtown Eastside, Chinatown and Mount Pleasant; and
- a made-in-B.C. approach to the design, sourcing local materials and artists.
For anyone interested in additional information, or to view video of a recent briefing to media by PavCo, BC Lottery Corp. (BCLC) and Paragon, please visit the news section at www.bcplace.com.
In short, it’s critical to ensure we make good decisions as a city and province. But, I also know that it’s important that we base our debates on the facts, rather than the kind of fiction that generates heat but not much light
Finally, PavCo and the BC Lottery Corp. have done their homework and support both Paragon and its hotel, entertainment and casino proposal as an important part of the entertainment district around BC Place. Based on the facts, we believe this proposal fits with the city’s long-standing plans for this part of Vancouver and helps complete an entertainment district that will serve visitors and residents alike.