The Decline of Westbank

[whatnext]

For those who missed it, an extensive article and interview with Ian Gillespie in the Vancouver Sun. When did he become CEO again?

Anyway, he seems fairly optimistic. I'd forgotten he'd built the Residences on Georgia.

Exclusive: Westbank CEO on Oakridge, data centres, and recent lawsuits and disputes
Westbank, with a reported $50 billion in projects completed or under development, is focused on the future, says founder Ian Gillespie in a rare interview
Author of the article: Dan Fumano
Published May 29, 2026

...Through the 1990s and 2000s, Gillespie was regularly profiled and interviewed by local and international newspapers and magazines while his company had a meteoric rise, transformed Vancouver’s skyline, and set off on major projects in other markets.

In recent years, however, while the company has been in the headlines for reasons businesses prefer to avoid, Gillespie has eschewed interviews and retreated, at least somewhat, from the limelight.

During a nearly two-hour conversation at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, one of the downtown landmarks Gillespie developed, he responded to some old criticisms of Westbank and, for the first time, publicly commented on recent news stories about the company.

He seems unbothered about recent adversity, and focused on the future.

“I’m moving forward,” he said. “It’s not about the past.”...

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/westbank-feature?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email