A shore-to-shore pedestrian zone, an “iconic” public gathering space, and new development that supports arts and entertainment are part of the city’s 20-year plan to revitalize the downtown Granville Street strip.
A staff report on a new vision for Granville Street goes before city council Wednesday for approval and says the goal is to enhance daytime and night-time activities, improve safety, expand live music and “unlock economic opportunities.”
Increasing the number of hotels and dining options and delivering “a world-class public realm” are also recommendations in the plan, which was developed with input from businesses, residents, cultural institutions and community partners.
The plan is being driven by concerns about the current state of the strip.
“Today, the area faces challenges with vacant storefronts, lack of daytime activity and rising health, safety and street disorder concerns,” the report said. “These issues have contributed to a negative perception of the [Granville Entertainment District], as highlighted during the plan’s public engagement process.”
Council heard in a recent debate at city hall related to a proposed conversion on the strip of a vacant single-room-occupancy (SRO) building to a hotel that upwards of 30 per cent of storefronts were vacant on the street.
Coun. Mike Klassen remarked that in conversations with Granville bar owners and restaurant operators “we heard their desperation, the absolute calamity that they were facing.”
“Many were losing significant money because of Granville’s inability to deal with social disorder and other challenges that are in the area,” Klassen said.
'Including the unhoused'
Downtown Granville Street evolved from a bustling commercial hub in the early days of Vancouver’s incorporation to become home to what became known as the Granville Entertainment District.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the staff report said, the district was a vibrant destination for celebration and performance and known for its iconic neon signs, marquees and venues such as the Orpheum Theatre and Commodore Ballroom.
The 2010 Winter Olympics marked a peak of activity on Granville Street, with thousands of visitors filling the street day and night. The Canada Line and public realm improvements for the 2010 Winter Olympics were the most recent significant changes to Granville Street, the report said.
Since 2010, the strip has taken a noticeable plunge economically and seen an increase in street disorder, with drug activity and people living with a mental illness evident in pockets up and down Granville Street.
The Granville plan identifies medium and long-term priorities to “enhance safety and comfort for everyone, including visitors, business owners, employees, and residents, including the unhoused.”
Pandemic
The pandemic’s hit on small businesses, the rise in the general cost of living, people working from home and purchasing habits shifting to online and stay-at-home meals has also contributed to the downturn on Granville.
“The City of Vancouver recognizes Granville Street’s challenges but sees it as an area full of opportunity,” the report said. “The Granville Street Plan can enhance the area’s future for businesses, venues, visitors, and residents by introducing a vision, and outlining the incremental changes needed.”
Over the years, there has been a push from politicians and business people to pedestrianize Granville Street. The plan considers implementing incremental steps to eventually create a pedestrian zone that runs from the Granville Bridge to the waterfront.
Such a zone would connect with what the report describes as an “iconic gathering place” at Granville and Robson streets, complete with more and larger electronic video signs that would give the area a vibe similar to Times Square in New York City.
“The pedestrian zone will feature programming, amenities, and unique design features for year-round, day and night enjoyment,” the report said. “Initial efforts will involve testing temporary seasonal pedestrian zones in the near term.”
Buses relocated to Howe, Seymour streets
Such a significant change to the street would mean relocating bus service to Howe and Seymour Streets, with the report saying “priority improvements will be made to these streets to enhance reliability and access.”
The plan also calls for the consideration of new rental housing development and hotels in the 800-block of Granville Street, along with the conversion of single-room-occupancy buildings to self-contained social housing units.
The plan area currently has eight SRO buildings, with a total of 600 rooms. Many of them are privately owned, but on-site replacement of SROs and social housing will not be permitted in what the plan refers to as the “entertainment core” area, which runs from Smithe to Davie streets.
“The plan supports creating new affordable housing to replace existing SROs or social housing in the Bridgehead and City Centre areas with new self-contained social housing as part of larger mixed-use developments,” said the report, referring to the areas north of the Granville Bridge and the section between Smithe and West Georgia streets.
Council meets at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at city hall to consider the plan.
X/@Howellings
