Vancouver mayor makes final pitch for controversial Broadway Plan ahead of municipal election
Vancouver’s mayor appears to be attempting to position himself as the renter’s candidate, with just five months to go until the next municipal election.
Kennedy Stewart is giving voters the hard sell on the controversial Broadway Plan.
The proposal seeks to build thousands of new homes along the planned subway on the Broadway corridor, but critics are calling it a pie-in-the-sky idea.
The proposed plan would create enough housing for 50,000 people.
The mayor says renters in the existing buildings, which would need to be demolished, will have the right to move into the new towers at or below current rents, but he would not guarantee they would be the same size units. Stewart said the city would "see" about getting people who are living in over-crowded spaces into larger units
“It's more about what housing is appropriate, rather than exactly duplicating what they have in the past,” he said in a press conference Thursday morning.
“So you have to think, too, that we're building an area's first, where there's no rental, you know, there's very little rental housing, if any, and so that will increase the stock of housing across this corridor."
The plan would redevelop the Broadway corridor between Clark Drive and Vine Street.
That area is slated to be home to the new Broadway Subway by 2025.
The proposal would create a high-density zone, allowing for residential towers up to 40 storeys tall, with the goal of building a second downtown over the next 30 years.
However, residents of the existing low-rise buildings have raised concerns about losing their homes to so-called demovictions.
Stewart has said any displacement would be temporary and residents would be compensated or given the right to move into the new units.
Stewart says the builders of the new towers will have to agree to pay for renter’s moving costs and any difference in rent at their temporary accommodations in order to secure a contract.
He says the lower rental rates are tied to the units themselves.
Strategist Bill Tieleman, who opposes the Broadway Plan, calls the proposal a “pie-in-the-sky” idea.
“You're talking about much smaller units, less floor space, less space overall. Not to mention that we're going to have these giant towers which take up a big footprint in the city,” Tieleman told CTV News.
Tieleman says Stewart is claiming to be the renter’s mayor, but believes the project would end up displacing thousands of current residents.
“I think anybody who wants to think that they're going to have the same size apartment, the same rent or less, going to have temporary housing for up to five years, I've got a bridge to sell you,” said Tieleman.
Planning and engagement for the project started in 2019 and the draft plan will go to council next Wednesday for a vote.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Travis Prasad and Alissa Thibault
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
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.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
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.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
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.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.