Streets to parks
Vancouver ranks as the continent’s second-most congested city, so anything that cuts into streets – particularly major ones – is bound to provoke debate.
Examples include bike lanes, the proposed demolition of the viaducts into downtown and plans for the permanent closure of Robson Street at Robson Square for public space.
But with constraints on the supply of developable land in the city, streets are also an underused resource. Vancouver’s Greenest City strategy identifies streets as a key resource when creating parks and boosting affordable housing.
A winning submission by Christina DeMarco, Ted Sebastian and Charles Dobson in Vancouver’s recent re:Think Housing competition suggested converting underused streets into 10,000 residential lots.
And the city has already closed a small strip of street at Main and East 18th to create a park outside Bastion Development Corp.’s development at 3333 Main Street. The city recently identified four sites on Scotia and Prince Albert streets in Mount Pleasant for possible street to park conversion.
Tilo Driessen, park planner with the Vancouver Park Board, was unable to speak about the plans, but communications co-ordinator Daria Wojnarski said the city aims to have green space within five minutes’ walking time of every resident by 2020. Currently, 8% of the population is more than five minutes from a park.
“There’s not a specific number of sites that we are considering for street-to-park conversions. We’re working in priority neighbourhoods ... to carry out small-scale conversions.”
Wojnarski added that the city is also acquiring land for new park sites, but declined to detail the number of acquisitions eyed or other related information.
“We continue to acquire lands for park in neighbourhoods which are underserved,” she said. “The details ... are considered to be confidential as disclosure would impair our ability to effectively negotiate those acquisitions.”
Development mission
Creating new stand-alone space for religious communities is difficult in urban areas. With high land values, many congregations can’t afford to acquire, let alone maintain, properties without a significant financial commitment from members. Older congregations have occasionally opted to redevelop sites with residential space above.
One of the most notable local examples is St. Andrews Wesley United Church’s development of a 19-storey tower adjacent to its building on Nelson Street; more recently, Central Presbyterian Church on Thurlow has broached plans for a 21-storey tower atop its own building.
Now, LionRock Development Corp., a venture of Delta developer – and pastor – Alan Braun and business partner Mark Foster aims to work with religious groups to redevelop their sites or create church- anchored residential projects.
Foster is as president and CEO, while Braun is “chief liaison officer” and a company director, alongside members of Royal Heights Baptist Church, where Braun is senior pastor.
“A church ... that’s being utilized for a day or half a day a week isn’t a very good steward of its resources,” Foster said. “But if we can make a church a vibrant part of a community again, that can provide services to a community.”
Foster said religious groups are also possible operators of amenities such as daycare centres and community space.
“It’s those types of synergies that we’re after,” he said.
Members of Royal Heights, a passive owner of LionRock, provide guidance on amenities needed where LionRock builds and advise on the allocation of profits, which are primarily reinvested in communities where LionRock is active.
LionRock has three projects currently on the go:
•Shiloh Place, a 52-unit development in Kamloops with 2,000 square feet of worship and community space;
•The River, a 252-unit project in Surrey with 75,000 square feet of commercial space and 12,000 square feet of worship and community space; and
•a nascent project at Royal Heights’ property in Delta.
