Sometimes it pays to wait.
Consider what the New Westminster waterfront might have looked like if the city back in the late ’90s had jumped at Larco’s plan to build five towers on the river.
Consider what the waterfront might have looked like without the now very popular “beachfront” Westminster Pier Park.
Consider what it all might have looked like with five towers, no pier park and the parkade still in one grey chunk of concrete sandwiched between the Front Street area and the Larco development.
Planning, vision, political leadership and time, just plain time, can make all the difference between a livable city and a depressing mash-up.
There will be lots of controversy about Bosa’s proposed new plan for its land on the waterfront.
Ideally, we’re sure, the city would have liked to have gotten its mitts on this land much earlier and been able to directly control any potential development on the site. But the developers were smart to hang on to this now very valuable piece of property. And they’re smart to propose the plan that they have proposed.
It answers the city’s concerns about pedestrian corridors and, while blocking some views, will at least allow for more views overall than any previous plan. It will also be subject to the city’s new bylaw requiring that 10 per cent of the units will be family-friendly – i.e. with three bedrooms.
Depending on your point of view about skyscrapers it will either be a blemish or a dramatic icon. But it will certainly be a landmark.
There are a lot of questions still to be answered about this development proposal: How will the parking work? How can it be built without damaging, or seriously disrupting neighbouring residents’ lives? How will it impact downtown businesses?
Given the concerns recently about noisy construction pile driving on the Quay, this project would seem to be a pile-driving nightmare of gargantuan proportions.
It will certainly be an engineering challenge given the site. And, of course, building it to current seismic requirements could be tricky.
The plan is not a done deal. It still has to be vetted by staff, and, of course, go through a public process.
It will be awhile before those towers will hit the market.
But, love it or hate it, our money is on this one making it to the final stage with minor adjustments.
