ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT


                                                Date: July 15, 1996
                                                Dept. File No.000 182


   TO:       Vancouver City Council

   FROM:     General Manager of Engineering Services

   SUBJECT:  Proposed Closure of Portion of Rogers Street North of Powell
             Street


   RECOMMENDATION

        THAT  Council agree  in principle  to lease  the portion  of Rogers
        Street North of Powell  Street shown within the bold outline on the
        sketch attached  as Appendix "A", as  set out herein, subject  to a
        report back on the specific conditions of the lease.

   COUNCIL POLICY

   The authority for closing and disposing  of streets and lanes is set out
   in the Vancouver Charter.

   PURPOSE

   The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval  in principle, to
   lease a  portion of Rogers  Street end.   This will give  the applicants
   some   assurance  that  he   has  Council  support   before  he  invests
   considerable  time  and money  designing  the  proposed fill,  shoreline
   protection, barge  loading and mooring  facilities, as well  as pursuing
   the necessary approvals from various regulatory bodies.

   BACKGROUND

   For many years the Rogers Street end was leased to Dafoe's Machine Shop.
   This company maintained  a small machine shop on the  street end as well
   as some floats and  mooring facilities in the  water covered portion  of
   the lease area.   B.C. Sugar on the  west side of the Rogers  Street end
   and United  Grain  Growers on  the east,  have filled  their sites  well
   beyond the  extent of  fill on the  Rogers Street  end (see  copy of  an
   aerial photograph attached as Appendix "B").

   The street end  forms a basin between the two  abutting property owners.
   This basin tends  to trap harbour debris.   Also, the abutting  property
   owners must maintain the shoreline on each side of the basin.





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   DISCUSSION

   We have  now received  a request to  lease the Rogers  Street end.   The
   applicants  propose to fill  the existing basin  out to the  line of the
   filled  lands on either side of Rogers  Street, leaving a small basin in
   which  they  propose  to construct  a  barge  loading  ramp and  moorage
   facilities.  On the filled  area, they proposed a small office  building
   and  storage of material awaiting  shipment.  The  proposal will involve
   considerable front end  cost for  design and approval  from the  various
   regulatory agencies concerned with development  on, and adjacent to  the
   water.    Prior to  expending the  resources  necessary to  secure these
   approvals, we felt it prudent to determine  if Council was supportive of
   the concept.

   Should  Council  support  this  request,  staff  will  ensure  that  the
   development of Rogers Street  end will not preclude  the moorage of  the
   Fire and Police boats at some future time.

   CONCLUSION

   The application to  lease the Rogers Street end offers an opportunity to
   clean up the area and improve an important City asset, while maintaining
   the  City's  long term  options.   Therefore  we recommend  that Council
   support  the concept  of  leasing the  Rogers Street  end, to  allow the
   partial filling  and development  thereof as a  barge loading  facility,
   subject to a report back on the details of the lease arrangement.




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