Quote:
Originally Posted by Changing City
It's unusual, but not unknown. You can find examples in Europe, ( Bergen for example) and in Toronto, and in London in the UK.
The economics don't work like that. These are costing $500,000 a unit to build. If the City sold the rights to build 60 condos above the school, I doubt they would have got much more than the $30m these are costing to build. They can't build them cheaper anywhere else, construction costs don't change because it's Coal Harbour, and they would also have to acquire another site as well, so the units elsewhere would end up costing more than $500,000 each. This also has a tight timeframe to be built, because BC Hydro are paying the School Board for the cost of the school, so they in turn can build their substation under the school site in Nelson Park. And that site has to be available in 2024. |
Those examples you quoted are by river/lake banks, and not necessarily at extremely wealthy neighbourhoods with "million dollar views" as stated by Klazu.
For Vancouver and Metro Van, such projects can be placed at the banks of the Fraser River in neighbourhoods such as the River District or New Westminster's Queensborough district and they wouldn't bat an eye, but it would certainly raise eyebrows if one were placed smack at the waterfront of Coal Harbour. Besides, we are world-renowed for having very shady characters and criminals residing in or hanging around at our infamous subsidised housing buildings.
In other cities I've been to, the co-ops house the less unfortunate, but most of them folks or new immigrants who are still hardworking and trying to do their best to make a living. For instance, many Toronto co-ops house families with kids playing outside, and they do deserve all the water views. In Vancouver, many of those given lux living do not deserve anything except simple shelters. Some of them belong in jail cells.
If folks in Vancouver's City hall have even the tiniest of brains, that Coal Harbour site should be built not only as a school, but also a City-run downtown public market offering cheaper rents to small businesses or farmers who are willing to travel to the City to sell their produce fresh. That neighbourhood is in need of such a facility that would benefit those living around. It can attract tourists and visitors alike, and would also encourage the community to venture out to enjoy the waterfront, and doing so with a purpose.
Alas, our backward City has again let its residents down, and except for the school, wasting tax-payer's money to spend on something that not only does not benefit the majority, but can also be detrimental to the community.
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(Ghosts of Vancouver 
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