Introduction

Following the completion of a public proposal call and selection process by the City, On June 11, 1996, Vancouver City Council appointed Stanley Kwok Consultants Inc. as Development Consultant for the Southeast Shore of False Creek, reporting directly to the Property Endowment Fund Steering Committee (PEF Steering Committee).

Subsequent to the appointment, an agreement between the City and the Consultant was entered into, and it provided that phase one of the work, i.e. the first seven months commenced on July 1st 1996, will be directed towards identifying economically feasible development options for the lands, and report back to the PEF Steering Committee as to whether redevelopment of the lands should be carried out.

Terms of Reference

The detailed Terms of Reference is shown in italics as follows:

The Consultant shall conduct a study of the City Lands for the purposes of:

1. Identifying economically feasible development options for the Lands; and
2. Advising the Property Endowment Fund Steering Committee as to whether redevelopment of the Lands is appropriate and economically viable.

The Consultant shall conduct inquires, studies, tests or reviews as is, in the opinion of the Committee and the Consultant, necessary to achieve the foregoing objectives. This may include the following:

• Holding meetings with private owners of the Lands and adjoining lands
• Retaining and managing subconsultants
• Conducting geotechnical, survey and soils review work
• Reviewing archaeological issues
• Preparing preliminary cost estimates of environmental remediation, sustainable development requirements and infrastructure and servicing Preparing preliminary land residual proforma to determine whether redevelopment is economically feasible; and
• Considering existing federal, provincial and municipal laws, regulations, by-laws, policies, working papers and recommendations within the current economic climate and including the following site specific and context issues:
• Proposal of street car on the C.P. Rail right of way
• Retention of a "B" listed heritage building (85 West 1st Avenue) as a community centre
• Shoreline treatment and waterfront walkway
• Provision of park
• Provision of social housing
• Retention of view access along First Avenue to Science Centre
• Cambie Bridgehead
• Access to the water and water transportation
• Height gradient, potentially decreasing to False Creek basin
• Existing higher density at east end of False Creek
• Existing arterial and ALRT Station; and
• False Creek Policy Broadsheets which establish density guidelines.

For this purpose, the Consultant shall create preliminary development concepts for the Lands sufficiently developed to permit the Consultant and the Committee to assess the feasibility and economic viability of development of the Lands.

Upon conclusion of the foregoing work the Consultant shall prepare and present to the Committee a report summarizing the Consultant’s conclusions. The Consultant may be asked to prepare follow-up reports or provide additional information.

The intention of the terms of reference is to create preliminary development concepts rather than designs or development plans. However, in order to enable development concepts to be assessed as to feasibility and economic viability, sufficient design details have to be developed. Furthermore, development concepts are abstract thoughts which needed to be captured into physical form for them to be felt and understood. To achieve this, visual materials included in this report, out of necessity, have to be adequately detailed and may take on an appearance of a design. It is emphasized therefore, that illustrations presented in this report are merely expression of development concepts only and they are not intended to be designs.

The development concepts presented in this report are meant to be loose and general. Should the recommendation of this report be approved by the PEF Steering Committee, and the project moves on to a public planning process, other ideas and their economic impact would likely be encountered as the process unfolds.

Last modified: April 8, 1997
(c) 1997 City of Vancouver