Big changes afoot for Granville Island
PHOTO: DOUG SHANKS
Granville Island’s Public Market could be expanded by up to 15,000 square feet.
By Magda Ibrahim
Sep 20 2007
Public consultation will help influence decision-making
Since its redevelopment from an industrial-manufacturing site to a shopping and entertainment district in the 1970s, Granville Island has been one of Vancouver’s foremost tourist attractions. A haven for local arts communities and small businesses, ordinary citizens possess a rare, seemingly proprietary sense of protection for its unique character.
But that character could be subject to changes — both subtle and sweeping — in the coming years, as plans for its renewal begin to be formed through a series of public open-house events and stakeholder workshops.
Work/live spaces and private housing could be added under the plans, along with an increased proportion of paid parking, a shuttle bus, and more nighttime entertainment. Also on the cards are suggestions including an outdoor ice-skating rink or outdoor dance floor, a night market, and fish sales direct from boats at the Public Market.
Norm Connolly is a planner and manager of the Island Insight project, first set up in 2005 to look at Granville Island’s long-term future. “We knew we had to address long-standing issues like transportation and the old industrial buildings, and get public input into the future of the island,” he says. “It’s been a while since anything like this has happened, and now that we’re in the 21st century, it’s a good time to address these things.”
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a federal organization that manages Granville Island, is holding the series of open-house events where locals can offer their views. About 150 people attended the first open house, called Speak Up!, on July 20. The responses — which can be viewed online — are extremely varied.
“It’s a challenge to keep everyone happy,” admits Connolly. “If you ask three people about what we should do, we might get three different points of view. In the parking issue, we’ve had really mixed responses — opinion is very divided.
“We hope there’s a nice Granville Island compromise; the number-one priority for people is not to change too much, and to keep the unique character and experience with its art focus.”
Some of the older buildings, which currently provide covered parking, could be turned into more space for artists to create and sell their works, and an estimated 15,000 square feet are proposed to be added to the Public Market, currently at 50,000 square feet.
Jan Carley, executive director at the Granville Island Cultural Society, which runs the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works, says she’s keen to see more space devoted to the arts. “An amazing place like this definitely needs long-term planning as the city gets bigger and Granville Island becomes more popular,” she says. “From a cultural perspective, Granville Island is just booming. We’re hoping more performance space gets into the mix of planning.”
Connolly adds that some of the more modest ideas, such as widening the Aquabus ferry ramp and making it less steep, are likely to happen soonest, while longer-term projects, such as the redevelopment of old buildings, will take longer.
A second open house will be held on September 29, and a third on October 24. The results will be compiled for a final report, to be released in November. (Info: Speak-Up.ca.)
“Some issues are controversial, like the residential housing, but it’s nice to have issues there’s still some debate on,” says Connolly. “The challenge is to find funding — we’ll have to see what we can get.” 
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