City of Vancouver seeking feedback on how to revitalize Granville street
The City of Vancouver wants to know what people think will breathe new life into the beleaguered Granville strip.
At a news conference Thursday, officials and community leaders said the hope is to be able to revive the area's popularity.
"The Granville Street Planning Program is a vital chance to revive and restore the heart of Vancouver's entertainment district," said Jane Talbot, president and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.
Safety was cited as a key concern in the area.
Stacey Forrester, co-founder of the non-profit Good Night Out, spoke about the findings of a recent survey involving people working in the neighbourhood.
"Eighty-nine per cent indicated that they had felt unsafe in the area in the last year," she said.
Mayor Ken Sim said he would would support a larger police presence in the area.
“Sometimes the people don’t feel safe on the street and if we nail that, more people can come down here and feel safe to be here and enjoy," Sim said CTV News.
Some of the planning underway involves expanding and enhancing public space to support a range of activities, protecting and strengthening job space, expanding tourism and improving transportation.
Specifics of the revitalization plan weren't talked about as the city hopes to receive feedback and ideas from the public before moving forward.
Outside Granville Street between Smithe and Robson streets, however, several information signs show a 17-story mixed use commercial building in the rezoning application process.
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Young is a major supporter of the project.
“It epitomizes all the things that we want to see on the street," said Kirby-young. "Revitalization of a historic venue like the Commodore - where everyone remembers seeing music shows – retail, bringing people to the street during daytime and then building office on top.”
While interviewing several people along Granville Street today, sirens could be heard blaring in the background, often resulting in the interview coming to a halt.
Sim said issues involving drugs, mental health and housing stretch well beyond Granville Street and cannot be fixed by local government alone.
“We do have incredibly large systemic issues that we have to deal with and we are dealing with it and we’re working with senior levels of government," said Sim.
The city is now looking for community input and ideas and information on how to provide feedback can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.