City deciding fate of Plaza of Nations

John Bermingham
The Province

May 5, 2005

Almost 19 years to the day since it opened as the centrepiece of Expo 86, the Plaza of Nations is being eyed as a waterfront leisure mecca.

The former B.C. Pavilion was where the world came to celebrate, but it has since left an uncertain legacy on the edge of False Creek.

Tomorrow city planners want the public's opinion on the future of the Plaza of Nations.

The first option for the 13-hectare site is to leave it the way it is, currently home to the Edgewater Casino, Beat 94.5 FM and English-language schools.

It could also be zoned for three or four more highrise condos because of its high real-estate value.

But the third option is to turn the Plaza of Nations into a waterfront leisure and entertainment complex.

City planner Kevin McNaney said it would be a place for shopping, bars and cafes along a waterfront promenade like in San Diego or Sydney.

"Is the Plaza of Nations really important to the city?" said McNaney yesterday. "Should we retain this link back to Expo 86 or should it change?

"Those who went to Expo 86 seem to have a strong emotional attachment to the Plaza of Nations," he said.

"And then, of course, a lot of people just say, 'Oh well, knock the thing down.'"

McNaney said the city especially wants to hear from youth because the site has been used for outdoor concerts, raves and skateboard festivals.

Since 1990, the Plaza of Nations has been owned by Canadian Metropolitan Properties.

CMP vice-president Daisen Gee-Wing said it's been hard to stage outdoor events because neighbouring condo dwellers complain about the noise.

"You have challenges when you try and cater to the entertainment side of the things and people want their peace and quiet," said Gee-Wing.

What happens to the site depends on how the city decides its future use, he said.

Former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm said the Plaza of Nations will survive if it remains useful. "It just needs to be promoted as an entertainment centre for Vancouver," he said. "It's almost 20 years old, so I presume it probably needs a bit of sprucing up."

Tomorrow's open house runs from

4 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Vancouver Public Library downtown.

jbermingham@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Province 2005

about time....although i did enjoy my beer fest and dinner cruise terminal.

i cannot wait to see how it is transformed.

Yes, transform it into something dynamic as opposed to what it is right now........a piece of glass you walk around on the seawall extention.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/touraccuracy/794_9432.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/touraccuracy/795_9592.jpg

Don't tear it down, just be innovative and creative with it.

City deciding fate of Plaza of Nations

But the third option is to turn the Plaza of Nations into a waterfront leisure and entertainment complex.

City planner Kevin McNaney said it would be a place for shopping, bars and cafes along a waterfront promenade like in San Diego or Sydney.

"Is the Plaza of Nations really important to the city?" said McNaney yesterday. "Should we retain this link back to Expo 86 or should it change?

"Those who went to Expo 86 seem to have a strong emotional attachment to the Plaza of Nations," he said.



Expo 86 at the Plaza of Nations (BC Pavillion) - the Irish Rovers Pub, 86 Street Nightclub, attending at the Canadian Club for outdoor barbeques on the second floor deck overlooking tens of thousands milling about, neon along the monorail, nightly fireworks - boy was that a good time with a little touch of magic during the summer of '86.

With the condo boom in the area since that time and the accompanying increased population base, this area should be revitalized as a major focal point for entertainment as well as a tribute to the 1986 World's Fair.

http://www.mainframe.org/photos/expo86/expo6.jpg

we should've kept the monorail.

yah mang.....so cool.

Where was, and how long was the monorail? Did they just tear it down right after?

I think they should keep the Plaza in tact, and as mr. x said just be creative with its uses. Could it not be an entertainment and leisure center the way it is now? It has a place in the city as a tribute to the Expo that placed Vancouver on the world stage. Plus, it's a nice-looking building, in contrast to one of many other faceless condos in Vancouver.

Taken down after the Expo - and sold to an English amusement park - Alton Towers I think.
Some people wanted to install it in the West End, but there were safety concerns (among other concerns probably) as the train was compartmentalized - you couldn't walk the length of the train to escape muggers, etc. and no catwalk to escape a fire.

Taken down after the Expo - and sold to an English amusement park - Alton Towers I think.

That's true. I'm glad they removed it though. I've ridden the monorail in Sydney, and it's nothing more than a play thing. Utalising the seawall as a mode of transporation is healthier and infinity more beautiful than a novelty monorail. Futhermore, consider how useful Seattle's is. The roller coaster, named 'Scream Machine,' at Expo was sold to Six Flags St. Louis and is now known as Ninja (http://www.rcdb.com/id124.htm).

As for the Plaza of Nations I think they should destroy it. The building is really ugly and it doesn't do much for Vancouver, atleast, not as much as the other community spaces of Vancouver, such as Granville, Robson, Denman etc. I really like the third option: "To turn the Plaza of Nations into a waterfront leisure and entertainment complex." While I was in Australia, I visted Brisbane, a relativly sleepy city, but they had this amazing urban space on their river called South Bank. It features an outdoor market consisting of what seemed like hundreds of stalls, stores, resturants, a swimming pool, open-air concert hall, sea wall, and a mini-walk through rainforest (it sounds dangerously touristy, but it's not at all). Add some condo's and some more night life and you've got yourself a great public space. It also had this wonderful arbour running the entire length of the space. It's like "The Gates," but it actually looks nice!

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/inbrief/photos/albums/userpics/normal_1105677219.jpg
Arbour

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/inbrief/photos/albums/userpics/normal_1111420707.JPG
Tents, Arbour and Fountain

Along with the condo's, something like Melbourne's "The Crown" would be very cool aswell. "The Crown" is a giant enterainment complex with clubs, shopping and a huge casino. But the best aspect of the Crown is how it meets the seawall. For what seems like two blocks, it is restaurant, after restaurant after restaurant and each one has an outdoor patio. And while not needed, there are these metal boxes, about 20-25ft tall, and at night, they spit huge flames off the top of these. It's so cool. Vancouver doesn't need this, but something like it would we cool!

awww....they should've sold that roller coaster to the PNE instead. :(

Thanks! I never did know where that coaster went to.

I think that if the review favours an entertainment complex, the City can help tailor the Concord development to the east to be designed to accommodate and tolerate the noise - perhaps by adding more restaurant / retail uses at grade.
However, everyone knows the plight of the former Unicorn / Pier pub site - it just hasn't done very well unless there's an event at the Plaza of Nations - mind you, that was when the area wasn't developed.

i dont think that the plaza is that much of an eye sore, it is actually a nice building. i vote for turning it into something useful... maybe a market, ice rink, or just increase the amount or shows and concerts there. Definatly needs some fixing up tho.

^ that would be nice. Maybe we could turn the plaza into our own Rockafeller Center in the winter.

I went to the presentation at the library today. I was really happy with what they've done. They had city employees taking suggestions and opinions, surveys etc. They had some ideas set up, a lot of those were taken from Sydney's Darling Harbour. It was well worth the time.

As long as it doesn't end up plastic looking like Darling Harbour. Yuck - what a plastic mess that is. I was not at all impressed with that development when I lived there. Hated it! Want good urban planning in Sydney - go to The Rocks! Brisbane's Southbank and Melbourne's Southgate would be more the route to go for Vancouver - something thats more part of the urban fabric of the city. Vancouver deserves something really special. It should avoid the tacky / plastic route - for the Plaza of Nations. Rather incorporate the Plaza of Nations into the city - not the other way around. What the area needs really is PEOPLE - lots of people, which means more housing around there. The way Vancouver is developing I think we'll see major changes here within a couple years max. Its nowhere near as cut off from things as it used to be.
Change is coming closer for Plaza of Nations.

And fix up the seawall around there too. I always hated how it goes off course around there and you go into the development. Keep it along the water so you can fast track it to Science World and the southern part of False Creek. It will be interesting seeing this area transform in the next couple years. I have no doubt it will turn out well in the end. Vancouver is pretty good at doing up its public spaces. Generally when it comes to urban planning most world cities look at Vancouver in many cases. Melbourne's Docklands is looking at Vancouver for its inspiration. Many pics of Granville Island in their development material and boy has that development come along way. Its the largest urban redevelopment project in Australia's history and Vancouver is ITS model.