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Preliminary plans for Northeast False Creek include 11-acre park

Can a bridge be graceful? The city and park board say yes and dare to dream big

 

A new 11-acre park and hospital, plans to replace the viaducts and even a “graceful” bridge are envisioned for the future of False Creek.

The city and park board released details of the ongoing planning exercise that aims to change the face of northeast False Creek, Chinatown, Gastown and the False Creek Flats over the next 20 years.

“The early draft plan for Northeast False Creek is based on some of the most extensive public consultation that the city has ever done,” city planning manager Gil Kelley said in a news release. “We are excited by the opportunities for a really active waterfront area, design ideas for a dynamic urban village that we have worked on with landowners in the area, how the new park is shaping up, and the replacement plan for the viaducts.”

false creek
The city and park board released details of the ongoing planning exercise that aims to change the face of northeast False Creek, Chinatown, Gastown and the False Creek Flats over the next 20 years.

 

Approved in 2015, plans for replacing the Dunsmuir and Georgia Viaducts include a new at-grade street network to replace the concrete monoliths.

City projections suggest 12,000 new residents and upwards of 8,000 additional people working in Vancouver will pour on to city streets in the next two decades. The planning exercise now underway aims to minimize congestion while also improving connectivity to the proposed hospital construction project in the False Creek Flats area.

“We are excited by the opportunities presented by removing the viaducts and replacing them with a new street network,” engineering manager Jerry Dobrovolny said.

The 11-acre park is intended to connect the majority of the eastern part of False Creek via promenades, ramps, steps and platforms.

“A graceful pedestrian bridge over the new Pacific Boulevard is envisioned to unify the north and south sections of the park,” the city notes in a news release.

Cyclists and pedestrians will flow in from downtown and East Vancouver via a proposed newly elevated Dunsmuir Park. The new park spaces will be oriented to maximize sightlines of the water, mountains and skyline. A more detailed plan will be submitted to the park board in the fall.

“The board believes the proposed new park will transform Northeast False Creek and provide vital green space as the area continues to grow,” said park board general manager Malcolm Bromley.

The full draft plan and the concept design for the new park will be shared at a block party open house on Carrall Street (between Keefer Street and Expo Boulevard) on Saturday, June 10.

The current round of public feedback will help shape a refined draft plan that will go to council in the fall, while the final details will be hammered out by the end of this year.

The overall plan will likely take 20 years to roll out in full and is contingent on a number of factors: buy-in from senior governments, how the neighbourhood continues to build out and partnering and negotiating with current landowners.

More info is online at vancouver.ca/nefc.