Horse racing shut down permanently at Hastings Park

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Their casino operations are not even popular.



Parq generated $6.2 million in the same time period.

They said they needed an additional $20 million per year to support the industry.

https://canadianthoroughbred.com/magazine/business/the-decline-of-racing-in-bc/#:~:text=the%20group%20collects%20all%20the,with%20a%20$4%20million%20grant.

the last few times I went there mostly in 2024, it was very dead, like maybe less than 50 people. The parking sucks, getting there from transit sucks, the food options don't have any draw. I think having Grand Villa so close for East Van doesn't help it. The game selection was fine, they had a few harder to find slots but meh.

[logan5]

The stadium is still 5 years away, if this current plan works out, so maybe this will expedite plans for an Expo Line extension up Hastings. It's 5 km's to get to Hastings and Renfrew, so it would only be 3 billion if you terminate there.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by logan5

The stadium is still 5 years away, if this current plan works out, so maybe this will expedite plans for an Expo Line extension up Hastings. It's 5 km's to get to Hastings and Renfrew, so it would only be 3 billion if you terminate there.

What plans for an Expo Line extension up Hastings? There's no money for the UBC from Arbutus line yet. Anything other than a faster bus service along Hastings is in the Fantasy thread, not TransLink's current capital plans. (And at this point, there's no timeline for a future stadium, if the idea turns out to be viable, which has still to be tested).

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Changing City

What plans for an Expo Line extension up Hastings? There's no money for the UBC from Arbutus line yet. Anything other than a faster bus service along Hastings is in the Fantasy thread, not TransLink's current capital plans. (And at this point, there's no timeline for a future stadium, if the idea turns out to be viable, which has still to be tested).

Jesus man, have a drink or smoke some weed or something.

Rail transit up Hastings has been talked about by the City, so that answers your "what plans?" question. The idea for a stadium is obviously viable. The City has said so.

[jollyburger]

The Coquitlam casino just got sold to a First Nation from Vancouver Island. They already bought River Rock, Chances Maple Ridge, Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria

https://www.nsnews.com/the-mix/snuneymux...n-casino-vancouver-in-coquitlam-11652227

[logan5]

I am a member of that band. I am not sure I'm comfortable investing in all these casinos. I'd like to see some property acquisition and development into rental towers. That's a lot more future proof.

[Migrant_Coconut]

As long as the racetrack is still part of Hastings Park, it's under the Park Board's control... and the Park Board shot down condos on the golf courses just two years ago. Recreation purposes only, period.

It's important to note that Broadway's cost per km uses pre-Covid numbers; rumours suggest UBCx may cost up to $6 billion now, and that's just 6-7km through the 'burbs. And since it and the Purple Line come first, it seems Hastings will have to wait.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

As long as the racetrack is still part of Hastings Park, it's under the Park Board's control... and the Park Board shot down condos on the golf courses just two years ago. Recreation purposes only, period.

The land is (potentially) being leased to the Whitecaps for 99 years. How does the Parks Board have a say in what they do with their land?

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by logan5

The land is (potentially) being leased to the Whitecaps for 99 years. How does the Parks Board have a say in what they do with their land?

The same way the City gets a say in what the MST do in Jericho? Lease or no lease, they're still building in the CoV; Senakw gets a free pass because it's technically not part of the city.

[logan5]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

The same way the City gets a say in what the MST do in Jericho? Lease or no lease, they're still building in the CoV; Senakw gets a free pass because it's technically not part of the city.

If/when the stadium is built, the land will be rezoned to accomadate an entertainment district. It wont be a park.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by logan5

Jesus man, have a drink or smoke some weed or something.

Rail transit up Hastings has been talked about by the City, so that answers your "what plans?" question. The idea for a stadium is obviously viable. The City has said so.

The City (in 2023) supported improved Bus Rapid Transit along Hastings. They also placed a higher priority on completing the UBC SkyTrain extension.TransLink have said faster bus transit along Hastings is in their current plan, but is reliant on funding from senior levels of government, and it's not one of the first three routes chosen for development. There are no plans to extend the Expo Line eastwards.

The viability of the stadium isn't obvious, yet. The Whitecaps obviously believe it could be, or they wouldn't have pursued an MOU with the City. As the announcement noted "This MOU is a starting point for negotiations, not an approval to build. Any proposal will require City Council approval."

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by logan5

If/when the stadium is built, the land will be rezoned to accomadate an entertainment district. It wont be a park.

Given the existing land use, casinos and stadiums evidently count as recreation space, or can be justified as such. Condos are irrefutably residential and would never pass that test.

This, of course, assumes the stadium even gets built, since some Board members want the entire thing to become a second Sanctuary Walk.

Some community members are wondering why there’s been no mention of converting any of the space taken up by the track — which is equivalent to about 20 city blocks — into parkland.

Linda Shuto was part of the citizens group that worked to turn Hastings Park back into green space in the 1990s.

“The people on the east side of Vancouver have been fighting for a park for probably 40 years,” she said.

“When there was the promise that the PNE was going to move to Surrey, everybody in this community got incredibly excited, and there was a lot of discussion. There were roundtables, there were meetings.

“That’s when the sanctuary (pond and nature zone) was built. That was conceived by community organizations and consultations with the province.”

When Campbell nixed the PNE move to Surrey, Shuto said she thought, “‘Well, that’s it. We’ve lost.’ But I never thought about the track (closing).”

If the track does leave, she thinks it would be natural to turn the space into parkland.

“Here’s another opportunity to make this a park, to make it be a truly green space,” she said. “Back in the day, there were camping grounds on Hastings Park, there were Douglas firs, there was a golf course. It was an amazing place.”

Vancouver park board commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky agrees.

“It’s a protected, designated park, so by every stretch of the imagination, they shouldn’t be selling it, they shouldn’t be developing it,” said Bastyovanszky.

“And the park board should be the administrator of that, and it should be turned into green space.”

[Glow Fun City]

A campground would be great for the new amphitheatre… I know my Deadhead friends and I would love it! ������

[WarrenC12]

Who controls the giant parking lots on the south side of Hastings. City or PB? Those could be condos and other uses if the PB doesn't want to play ball.

[djmk]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Who controls the giant parking lots on the south side of Hastings. City or PB? Those could be condos and other uses if the PB doesn't want to play ball.

I believe PB. And I believe this parking lot is part of the "Hastings Community Park" rather than the Hastings Park

Unless you are asking about the other side of the baseball diamonds which is not PB and I think City

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Who controls the giant parking lots on the south side of Hastings. City or PB? Those could be condos and other uses if the PB doesn't want to play ball.

Just one more reason that ABC's desire to dissolve the PB and bring this all in under the City made sense. It's ridiculous to have this dual system. There's only one taxpayer.

[Migrant_Coconut]

If getting rid of parking at the Heights is already like pulling teeth, I suspect that taking away the PNE/Playland lots is even more of a non-starter.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Just one more reason that ABC's desire to dissolve the PB and bring this all in under the City made sense. It's ridiculous to have this dual system. There's only one taxpayer.

Yes they should have run on that from the start. I don't know why they flip flopped so much.

[Glow Fun City]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

If getting rid of parking at the Heights is already like pulling teeth, I suspect that taking away the PNE/Playland lots is even more of a non-starter.

Just put parking underground and build on top of it