A new pedestrian plaza at the corner of Davie and Bute honouring local LGBTQ activist Jim Deva will be open in time for Pride weekend, the City of Vancouver has confirmed.
Karen Hoese, the city’s assistant director of planning for Downtown Vancouver, said the city is working hard to get the $2.3 million project completed in time for the end of July.
“Ground is broken and were targeting to have everything done by Pride,” she said. “It’s meant to be the heart of Davie Street, so it’s a priority to have it ready in time.”
Once completed, the pedestrian plaza will feature outdoor catenary lighting strung across what was Bute Street, with a public toilet, moveable seating, outdoor electrical outlets, water connections and storage to allow for public events and programming.
“There could be arts and crafts, public markets, farmers’ markets aren’t out of the question either,” said Hoese.
The plaza will also feature the Jim Deva Soapbox for open air public-speaking, inspired by Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park. The feature is intended as a tribute to “Deva’s achievements and support of freedom of speech,” Hoese said.
The plaza project hasn’t been without controversy, however. A pilot program that blocked off the stretch of Bute to vehicular traffic for 14 months generated complaints from residents and local businesses who were concerned about drug use and public urination at the site.
However, West End NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert said he’s hopeful design changes by the City of Vancouver to include better lighting, public toilets, and ongoing public programming will address the issues.
“We heard from seniors that they didn’t feel safe because the area attracted drug dealing,” he said. “But I think having programming there, instead of it just being empty all the time, that will go a long way.”
The plaza will also be monitored and programmed by a special oversight committee made up of community members. The innovative stewardship strategy is the first of its kind in Vancouver, and if successful, could be applied to other public spaces.
“We’re pretty excited about the model,” said Chandra Herbert. “Involving the community, you get a better outcome – we all have a stake in making this work.”
The plaza will be the site of the Davie Street Block Party on July 29, as well as the Terry Wallace Memorial Breakfast on July 30 as part of the Vancouver Pride Society’s annual festivities.
“[The plaza] is a great tribute to Jim,” said Chandra Herbert. “We miss him.”
