New renderings of the design for an upcoming city park at Smithe and Richards in Yaletown are now available.

The Vancouver Park Board approved the design in May 2016, and have been working with DIALOG to refine the concept, which will go before the urban design panel this month. If all goes well, the park should be open by mid-2019.

The new 0.8 acre park will serve approximately 10,000 residents and 17,000 employees within a five-minute walk.

Key features

Small café

Public washrooms

Community plaza with water feature and seating

Pedestrian bridge that traverses through park

Children’s playground

“Community gathering harvest table” (the city’s description, not ours)

New trees, shrubs and perennials

Overhead framing to support lighting and temporary installations

Retain existing mature trees on Richards and Smithe street frontages

Construction of the new park is scheduled to begin in mid-2018 and will take up to one year to complete. The site, currently an EasyPark lot and car share facility, will continue operating until construction begins.

Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan stipulates that by 2020, all Vancouver residents should live within a five minute walk of a park, greenway, or other green space.

The city has owned the property since 1997, with the long-term intention of developing a new downtown park. A small building on the northern end of the site was demolished several years ago after serving as a temporary homeless shelter. It was previously the Lucy Mae Brown restaurant, which closed in 2009.

Models of new park

A wooden model of the new park is available for public viewing at Vancouver City Hall.

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