Revitalizing the downtown core has been an ongoing priority for this city council. The signature piece of this push was to be the construction of a major building on the empty lot kitty corner to City Hall -- 603 First St SE. While development of this lot would be welcomed by all, the inclusion of significant tax dollars to kick start this project was controversial. Most people surveyed including the Chamber of Commerce are against the inclusion of municipal funds.
603 First Street SE. The empty lot as it currently looks kitty corner to City Hall.
While the project’s funding path championed by the mayor was controversial his idea was sound. Part of what makes Vancouver’s downtown so great is that people live downtown. Calgary developed differently with most Calgarians living outside the downtown core, but recently has been building residential towers there so people can live downtown. Both cities understand that a vibrant downtown is created when people actually live there. The mayor’s idea to build a multipurpose building with commercial and residential units followed this philosophy and it’s hard to argue with his logic. Unfortunately, our economic climate changed dramatically.
So what to do about this lot? Cllr. Dumanowski was right that everyone has an idea and an opinion. That’s because it’s obvious that this big lot in the centre of our downtown has enormous potential to influence what the downtown core will look like.
Enter Grade 4 Southview School teacher Cassandra Silver. A few months ago she used the example of this empty lot to teach her students about local government, math, social studies and public speaking as reported by Peggy Revell in these pages. On May 16, some of her students presented their ideas for development to council. Dakota Rose Wilson’s presentation has stayed with me.
Rather than a building Miss Wilson argued that the lot should be developed into a park featuring a flag court to celebrate our diversity, a wall of honour for loved ones and a gathering spot for food trucks. What I liked first about Miss Wilson’s idea – it’s cheap. Turning the lot into a park would be a fraction of the cost of erecting a building and would also leave the door open on future redevelopment on this site.
However, turning this lot into a public gathering place and keeping it for this purpose would be great for the city long term. It would be in effect the creation of a town square – a place in the heart of town to gather. The various local festivals from Jazz Fest to Spectrum would benefit from the type of development proposed by Miss. Wilson. Unmediated public space is an increasingly rare thing, but an important foundation for building community. Community grows organically in such settings. Across the street from 603 First St we already see that happening. In Memorial Park there are impromptu gatherings of bag pipe players, hula hoop dancers and djs and Pokemon Go players. Expanding the park to include 603 First St would strengthen these community gatherings. Eventually, adjacent businesses on Second St could even open to face the park. But no rush. What’s great about parks is that they can be developed slowly as funds become available.
While the original plans by city council looked to create a building that would anchor downtown, a well-designed public space can accomplish many of the same objectives. We shouldn’t underestimate the effect that great landscape architecture can have on economic development. The High Line Park in New York City being the best recent example of this. A beautiful park can spur additional development in the surrounding blocks. Although city council has shelved the building project at 603 First St SE there are other options for development here – ones that cost less and would be impactful to the downtown core. And we’d have a Grade 4 student to thank for the idea. How great would that be?
Medicine Hat News. September 10, 2016