Dear Editor:
It's disturbing to hear our city officials refer to the "deteriorated" condition of the Queen's Park Stadium. It's disturbing because it matches what I would expect to hear from private contractors seeking another taxpayer-financed project.
I'm a structural engineer licensed in Canada and half a dozen states in the U.S. I've been to the Queen's Park Stadium a number of times and observed no problems beyond the superficial and cosmetic. I saw nothing worse than minor areas of spalled concrete that can be easily repaired. Steel-reinforced concrete structures require little maintenance and, in the absence of cataclysmic events like earthquakes, sinkholes, etc., they can last almost indefinitely.
I have heard no reports of specific hidden damage or seen anything to suggest that the fundamental stadium structure is less sound than when it was built. Homeowners don't tear down their houses when it's time to paint. This exceptional asset is already bought and paid for. It should not be undervalued.
We should look to Europe as an example for building and preserving public facilities. Big Ben and the Tower Bridge are not on the chopping block; and they're much older than the stadium, the Front Street parkade and the Pattullo Bridge combined.
Instead, we seem to embrace a "build it and tear it down" mentality. The Front Street parkade structure is the most fit-for-purpose structure I can imagine for its location. The top floor is a great candidate for a public park where visitors can be above the train and truck traffic with exceptional views of the Fraser.
As a bonus, keeping the parkade would preserve hundreds of covered public parking places. It's the perfect structure for that spot, it's already there, and it's already paid for.
Sadly, I understand that much of it will be torn down next month to accommodate a "mews" at ground level. Just how nice can a mews be if it is next to a freight train track and essentially on the shoulder of a truck route? I don't get it.
We pay our city officials well to screen out dumb ideas and to work above inappropriate influences. It's getting difficult to maintain the faith.
Jerry Johnson, New Westminster
