ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: May 31, 2001
Author/Local: K. Mulji/6069

RTS No. 2043

CC File No. 5655

Council: June12, 2001

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	City Manager in Consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Real Estate Services
SUBJECT:	875 Expo Boulevard (858 Beatty Street): Disposition of Stadium Parking Payment-in-Lieu Funds

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the required Stadium Pay-in-Lieu funds for this property, currently estimated to be $943,000, be allocated as follows:

i) $690,000 for construction of a new pedestrian connection from Robson Street, across the extended and enhanced Terry Fox Plaza and the BC Place Gap site, to Expo Boulevard;

ii) approximately $253,000 in cash to be deposited to the GreenLinks Account #30000133, prior to occupancy of any building on this site;

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services and the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to execute agreements made to their satisfaction as follows:

· for the allocation of Pay-in-Lieu funds;
· to ensure that the plaza extension is designed and constructed to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning;
· to ensure that the required public rights-of-way are secured;

and any other legal agreements that the Director of Legal Services deems necessary.

POLICY

In 1990, the Stadium Parking Agreement was established between the City and Pacific Place Holdings Ltd. (formerly Concord Pacific Holdings Ltd.) to ensure sufficient public parking during daytime events at BC Place Stadium. Under the terms of this agreement, 1800 parking spaces were to be provided as follows:

· 800 spaces, designated for stadium use, to be built on Concord sites;
· 1000 spaces to be "payment-in-lieu".

The funds from the "payment-in-lieu" spaces are to be applied to providing or improving the pedestrian-bicycle-transit network in the downtown area.

In 1993, during the rezoning of the Quayside Neighbourhood, the Stadium Parking Agreement was applied to site 5GH (875 Expo Boulevard). This agreement places an obligation for payment-in-lieu of the required parking on this property in the estimated amount of $943,000 for 100 stalls.

PURPOSE

This report requests Council approval of the expenditure of the Stadium Pay-in-Lieu monies from the property owner of the site at 875 Expo Boulevard. $690,000 of the required pay-in-lieu contribution, currently estimated to be $943,000, is proposed to be used for plaza and pedestrian connection improvements, generally as outlined in the drawings in Appendix A (on file in City Clerk's Office).

BACKGROUND

In March 2001, Council approved the CD-1 text amendment for 875 Expo Boulevard, subject to certain conditions. One condition was that staff would report back to Council on the proposed disposition of payment-in-lieu monies to be received from the property owner, under the terms and conditions of the Stadium Parking Agreement.

DISCUSSION

As part of the rezoning of the Quayside Neighbourhood, the property owner of 875 Expo Boulevard is required to provide a payment for 100 parking stalls under the terms and conditions of the Stadium Parking Agreement. The owner proposes to use the required Stadium Pay-in-Lieu parking contribution, currently estimated at $943,000, as follows:

· Improve the adjacent BC Place Gap site (the undeveloped portion of 855 Expo Boulevard, which includes the Terry Fox Plaza) with an extended and enhanced plaza. Construct a new pedestrian connection from Robson Street, across the Terry Fox Plaza to Expo Boulevard (estimated cost of $690,000).

· Grant a public Right-of-Way across the extended plaza and new stair connection.

· Provide the balance of the required funds, approximately $253,000 in cash, prior to occupancy of any building on the site. These funds will be used for future pedestrian-bicycle-transit improvements in the downtown.

It should be noted that the property owner has agreed to construct a commercial pavilion of 4305 square feet on the extended plaza at his cost.

Allowing the property owner to use $690,000 of the required pay-in-lieu amount for plaza and pedestrian improvements offers the City the following benefits:

· The B.C. Place Gap site issue would be resolved and a comprehensive development of the site would be achieved.
· The proposed plaza and pedestrian connection would provide open space, create a positive edge to the Terry Fox Plaza, improve pedestrian access to Expo Boulevard, and represent a significant overall improvement to the public realm in this area.

Staff have reviewed the plan of the proposed works and concur with the preliminary concept. The final plaza design and construction would be to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services and the Director of Current Planning, and would be subject to Development Permit approval.

CONCLUSION

The property owner proposes to use $690,000 of his Stadium Pay-in-Lieu contribution, currently estimated at $943,000, for improvements to the adjacent BC Place Gap site and the provision of an enhanced pedestrian connection from Robson Street to Expo Boulevard. As this scheme facilitates the comprehensive development of the Gap site and provides significant public realm benefits for the City, it is appropriate to use the Stadium Pay-in-Lieu funds for this purpose.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver