Construction has just started to extend three of Vancouver's streets from downtown to the waterfront.
The city considers developing the area a top priority, and the street extension is a major component of the effort.
The three streets to be extended are Grant, Columbia, and Esther, and it is planned that they will connect to Columbia Way, which is also to be extended. Vancouver's waterfront is largely industrial at present, but the city hopes to develop an infrastructure that includes a mixed-use, upscale development featuring restaurants, shops, a park, and a hotel.
Construction is taking place on the south side of the BNSF railroad tracks, and part of the project includes revamping the 30-acre site that used to house a Boise Cascade mill. The price tag on the renovations is approximately $1.3bn.
In order to have enough room to extend Columbia Way, the Centennial Center located at the Red Lion Hotel will be demolished, though the hotel and other businesses in the construction area will remain open. Removing the center will allow the extension of Columbia Way to run along the waterfront in a straight line. This site is generally considered the most vital economic project in Vancouver, according to the city's development director, Chad Eiken.
Since construction will result in the disruption of traffic patterns, the city might consider working with a flyer printing company on a mailer for residents, giving them a map of the site and alternate traffic routes.
