False Promises for False Creek

City Conversations No One Else is Having #4

Leg in Boot Square, South Shore of False Creek

“What do you mean “False Creek is toast”! We just cycled through it—it’s gorgeous!”

My son and I were enjoying a beer at the Wicklow Pub on Leg in Boot Square at the east end of the original False Creek development, built out in the 1970s. He was incredulous at my casual statement. I tried to explain.

“The city recently passed a report with the innocuous title Methodology for Co-operative Housing Lease Renewalsbut it’s really all about selling out the original False Creek South for major redevelopment, which goes from a bit east of here to a bit west of Granville Island. A UBC prof, Patrick Condon, has covered the details quite well, including some minor concessions to residents, in a recent article.”

“How can that be?” he asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Didn’t you and mom live in False Creek for a while? You’ve always said such nice things about it.”

“I guess nice doesn’t cut it in today’s Vancouver,” I responded. “We did live there for a few years, starting from when it and Granville Island were still under construction. We lived in a social housing project, were among the folks who were not in need, so paid a premium rent for our home as compared to those who had less cash—it’s called cross-subsidization. But we never minded, in fact we enjoyed seeing teenagers there a decade after we left who were toddlers when we were there. All good.”

“So, what’s happened?” he asked. “And surely “toast” is too strong a word?”

“I wish it was,” I continued. “Long term residents of False Creek South have been trying unsuccessfully to engage the city in conversation about the future of False Creek for at least a decade.”

“But why for so long? And why has it come to a head just now?”

“False Creek South is built on city-owned land,” I replied, “which was leased to the various co-ops, rentals and stratas built on it, typically for 60-year leases. This policy was implemented by TEAM (The Electors Action Movement), the city council that got False Creek going in the 70s. The leases are mostly up for renewal over the next several years. Knowing this, the residents have been trying to engage in negotiations with the city for the past decade, with a view to arriving at a solution where they can mostly stay in place.”

“And?” he responded, “what’s wrong with that picture?”

“What’s wrong is that, in spite of residents attempts to illustrate ways to increase density on the south shore, encourage aging in place (we are all of us getting older), city staff have deflected serious discussion, tabled this report and got it passed by city council on short notice, which is the death knell for the original development.”

“Surely,” he continued, “you’re exaggerating? Have the existing residents been greedy about retaining their amazing waterfront homes?”

“It hasn’t even got to the point of such details,” I answered. “60 years ago, the various organizations that built False Creek South were 1/3 market strata, 1/3 co-op and 1/3 rental social housing. They prepaid the lease on their lands. Regardless of their place in the marketplace, the city now proposes in this report that they should pay “close to market rates” for their lease renewals. Patrick’s article notes a few minor concessions to Vancouver co-ops in general, but they don’t look like they’ll help False Creek South much.”

“” Close to market rates” sound innocuous enough,” he suggested.

“Yes, until you realize that land values have appreciated at least tenfold since the original leases were signed. So, the occupants, who have already paid for their lease once, may now expect to renew at ten or more times that original amount—they simply can’t afford it.”

“So,” he responded, “what does redevelopment look like?” He had moved past the existing occupants.

“Well,” I answered, “if an original project was four storeys in height, as most were, their replacement would need to be forty storeys to finance the higher land valuations. That’s probably simplistic, but not too far off. Newer development such as Olympic Village is twelve or more storeys, with less green space, so the change is significant, also for folks living on Fairview Slopes behind False Creek.” I sketched what 12 storeys means from Fairview Slopes—it’s the line with “12” atop it:

What 12-storey Development looks like from Choklit Park

He studied my markup for a moment. “So, no more views of the city, water or mountains from anywhere south of False Creek.” He paused a moment. “Wait a minute,” he added. “we cycled all the way to Tap & Barrel and back to here. I noticed in Olympic Village that much of the cycle path was in shade from those taller buildings. Is that the future of the seawall?”

“I’m afraid so,” I responded with a pout. “False Creek North benefits from the buildings being north of its seawall. The south side seawall will be mostly in shade if the densities and heights that follow this deceptive report are adopted. Setting aside the politics and economics, False Creek South has been a fixture in Vancouver for almost fifty years, used by thousands more than its residents. They have been happy to share, but if this report is adopted, there will be nothing left to share worth sharing.”

“Let’s return along the seawall,” my son suggested, rising from the table with a view over the marina to the water and the city. “And let’s put this on our regular bike route.  Soon it may all be gone.”

As he rode off ahead, I noticed he was riding a bit slower than usual, looking left and right, drinking in what might soon be gone for his children and their children.

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Brian Palmquist is a Vancouver-based architect, building envelope and building code consultant and LEED Accredited Professional (the first green building system). He is semi-retired, so not beholden to any client or city hall. He lived in False Creek South for several years. These conversations mix real discussion with research and observations based on a 40+ year career including the planning, design and construction of almost every type and scale of project. He is the author of the Amazon best seller “An Architect’s Guide to Construction.”