Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre - Gearing Up for the Next Stage

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: July 16, 2002
Author/Local: T. Phipps/6604

RTS No. 2846

CC File No. 6007

Council: July 23, 2002

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

Director of Current Planning in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services, Director of Legal Services, Director of Office of Cultural Affairs and General Manager of the Park Board.

SUBJECT:

Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre- Gearing Up For Next Stage

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the staffing and budget outlined in this report, totalling up to $300,000 (contained in Appendix A) be approved to complete the public process leading to approval of the Form of Development and a Development Permit for convention and exhibition centre expansion at Burrard Landing, to be provided from the contingency reserve and recovered upon full payment of required rezoning fees.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of the above.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This report outlines the public process and staffing implications to obtain development approvals following Public Hearing, if a rezoning is approved to provide for convention and exhibition centre expansion at Burrard Landing. It recommends staff resources to accommodate an expedited time frame and maintain continuity through the stages of an approvals process. It is put forward now to be ready for quick service when funding for the project is announced. This could happen at any time.

DISCUSSION

Background Following completion of a public review process for proposed convention and exhibition centre expansion at Burrard Landing, as instructed by Council on March 12, 2002, Council on May 28, 2002 resolved that the Director of Current Planning be instructed to make application to amend the zoning and Official Development Plan (ODP), including design guidelines for Burrard Landing (100 Thurlow Street), to permit Convention and Exhibition Centre.

A Public Hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2002 to consider the proposed ODP and CD-1 amendments. However, the decision to consider this amendment as a City initiated rezoning precluded discussion of a specific form of development with the public because there is yet no applicant. Instead draft guidelines were presented for discussion and will be brought forward for Council approval. Therefore, a commitment was made to conduct a full public process once a specific form of development is proposed. This report proposes a program to implement that commitment.

Public Development Approvals Process If the CD-l text amendment is successful at Public Hearing, it is expected that private development partners engaged by the Province will very soon engage City staff in further discussion of design concepts and file a Preliminary Development Application. In addition to Urban Design Panel and similar reviews, this application would be reviewed through a public process comparable to that conducted at the rezoning stage. This application would be submitted to the Development Permit Board prior to being reported to Council for formal approval of the Form of Development.

To achieve an expedited timeframe for his complex application, yet include adequate opportunity for public input, this process will require dedicated staff and resources solely for this project. This would require temporary additional staff members with a budget for public process as outlined in Appendix A. The pivotal staff member on the inter-departmental technical team would be a project planner (Planner II). Additional development processing resources are recommended to allow immediate attention to this application. Other staff and supports would be provided as recommended by their respective departments.

Rezoning Fees All costs associated with the rezoning and Form of Development approval are to be recovered through payment of the full rezoning fee, which is calculated to be $741,260, plus the ODP Amendment Fee of $26,300. Payment of this fee is to be secured by a "no development" covenant required as a condition of rezoning, and the fee will be due prior to issuance of a Development Permit. Of this estimated rezoning fee, the $198,000outlay cost was committed to a previous budget for the rezoning of the site and enactment of the rezoning. Site consolidation costs, streets and associated legal implications were addressed separately through payment of $150,000 by the current property owner.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Council approved funding ($455,500 less funding from Marathon) on March 12, 2002, to finance the City initiated rezoning now proceeding to Public Hearing, prior to receiving rezoning fees. Further funding of $379,100 is required for the process described above, including overheads. To provide staffing and resources for these phases of processing the convention centre expansion, it is recommended that Council fund a further $300,000 from Contingency Reserve, as shown in Appendix A. The full cost of the development process are to be offset by receipt of the rezoning fees, estimated at $741,260, prior to issuance of a development permit. Development Permit fees will also apply and would offset costs associated with that aspect of the process.

CONCLUSION

Additional staff and process resources are required to meet Council's commitment to provide a public process for review of a development application together with maintaining a timeline commensurate with the public priority of this project. Public review of the Form of Development is normally part of the rezoning process, the cost of which is reflected in the structure of rezoning fees. Therefore, rezoning fees required for the Burrard Landing site prior to issuance of a Development Permit and subsequent development permit fees will fully offset the cost of completing this process. The staff recommended would give immediate attention to this application and maintain continuity between the rezoning and further required approvals including development and building permits.

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APPENDIX A

Form Development Process

Development Process Linkage (continuity)

Total Form & Development Costs

Staffing Costs

$105,300

$97,200

$202,500

Planning

$71,824.00

$65,106.00

$136,930.00

Legal Services

$0.00

$9,000.00

$9,000.00

Engineering

$19,461.00

$19,461.00

$38,922.00

Cultural Affairs

$7,221.00

$3.610.00

$10,831.00

Park Board

$3,320.00

$0.00

$3,320.00

Dev. Services/Fire

$3,548.00

$0.00

$3,548.00

Process Costs

$69,000

$28,500

$97,500

Public Consultation

Public Hearing

Overtime

Consultancy

Supplies/Services

Contingency

Total Outlay Costs

$174.300

$125,700

$300,000

Internal (Overhead) Costs

$44,800

$34,300

$79,100

Office Space

Allocated Costs

Corporate Services

Community Services

TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS

$219,100

$160,000

$379,100

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TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Current Planning in consultation with the General Manager of Engineering Services, Director of Legal Services, Director of Office of Cultural Affairs and General Manager of the Park Board.
SUBJECT:	Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre- Gearing Up For Next Stage

	Form Development Process	Development Process Linkage (continuity)	Total Form & Development Costs
Staffing Costs	$105,300	$97,200	$202,500
Planning	$71,824.00	$65,106.00	$136,930.00
Legal Services	$0.00	$9,000.00	$9,000.00
Engineering	$19,461.00	$19,461.00	$38,922.00
Cultural Affairs	$7,221.00	$3.610.00	$10,831.00
Park Board	$3,320.00	$0.00	$3,320.00
Dev. Services/Fire	$3,548.00	$0.00	$3,548.00
Process Costs	$69,000	$28,500	$97,500
Public Consultation
Public Hearing
Overtime
Consultancy
Supplies/Services
Contingency
Total Outlay Costs	$174.300	$125,700	$300,000
Internal (Overhead) Costs	$44,800	$34,300	$79,100
Office Space
Allocated Costs
Corporate Services
Community Services
TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS	$219,100	$160,000	$379,100