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By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: The changing face of business

Apr 14, 2024 | 6:00 AM

WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME these days dealing with change. Trying to determine the best way to tackle the homeless crisis, the rent and ownership crisis, the health crisis — and the list goes on.

Here’s another thing cities are wrestling with — the changing face of downtowns, how to deal with mass changes in philosophy regarding business and entertainment, and how to avoid the decline of the cores of cities throughout North America.

The cancellation this week of a 17-story office tower in the heart of Vancouver points the problem out clearly. This tower was to be the focal point of a major re-energizing of the Granville Street entertainment district. But the project has been shelved, throwing the whole redevelopment scheme on hold.

The owner of the land in question told the Vancouver Sun it’s a pretty simple equation. The demand for big office spaces just isn’t there right now, so putting up a huge office tower makes no sense.

It’s the same outside the Lower Mainland. Places like Kamloops and Kelowna have to ensure the downtown and North Shore business districts are built with the right mix of offices, residential units and business space.

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Predicting the future is not an easy task. Trying to figure out what we’ll need 20 years down the road requires a crystal ball no one has. Planners have to not only look at immediate needs, but also plan to accommodate change as the city grows. Right now, for example, it seems every time a property opens up, we’re looking at using it for ‘affordable housing.’ But is that the best spot for affordable housing years down the road? Making the right decision now is critical. Many of those decisions will be tough to overturn.

It’s our job as residents to have our say, too. We need to ask the tough questions to ensure we head in the direction we want to go. The city has given the public lots of opportunities for engagement. Most of us don’t take advantage of them. We need be more vocal so our city continues to be a thriving, exciting place to live.

Planning is everyone’s job. And we have to be flexible enough to ensure that the cancellation of one major project doesn’t scuttle plans for an entire area.

No pressure, eh?

I’m Doug Collins and that‘s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.