Protests over Pantages development continue, with another war of words erupting

Opposition to Sequel 138, the proposed on the former Pantages Theatre site, is showing no signs of abating.

A protest is being held this morning (September 8) outside the Sequel 138 office and presentation centre at International Village mall at Pender and Abbott, organized by the Stop Pantages Condos Coalition.

The organizers are pitching their protest as a press conference at which potential condo buyers will explain why they refuse to invest in the development, and call for a boycott of Sequel 138.

According to a news release, over 40 organizations and 1,200 DTES residents have signed a DTES Community Resolution opposing condos at the old Pantages site. The resolution calls for the city to halt the development permit applications, buy the Pantages land at its assess value, and designate it for 100 percent resident-controlled social housing.

In response, Sequel 138 developer Mark Williams put out one of his characteristically tongue-in-cheek news releases, stating: “We expect up to 400 visitors tomorrow at our Tinseltown, International Village Mall office. These good people are interested in our new project on the site of the old Pantages Theatre. We welcome them, one and all.”

Referring to a blog posting titled “Picket Pantages Party” at the DTES Not for Developersblog, he added: “The idea of a ‘picket party’ trivializes the urgent need for mixed and affordable housing in the DTES. We are willing to invest private capital to help solve a public problem. There will be zero displacement. Not one person lives onsite now. Only rats. Even so, we welcome our visitors. If permitted, we will serve milk and cookies to all 400. We will also provide informational pamphlets, and invite people to add their names to the housing and art space lists.”

In October 2009, Williams, with the support of the Pantages Theatre Arts Society, sought a bonus density transfer to fund the theatre’s restoration, but when the city placed a moratorium on such transfers, he hammered out a deal to have the city purchase the theatre outright. That deal collapsed when the city requested a feasibility study, causing more delays during which time the theatre deteriorated beyond repair. Williams subsequently placed the property on the market with a price tag of $8.2 million, and in 2010, the city again declined to buy it. The city’s 2010 assessed land value for the property—which includes the Pantages and four adjacent buildings—was $3.7 million.

Comments

5 Comments

homelessdave

Sep 8, 2011 at 4:10pm

hey, worthington properties and marc williams sequel 138 condos--it's caesar the Rat--it's our home--not yours--ready for a rat-attack?

Rick in Richmond

Sep 8, 2011 at 6:11pm

Thank God someone is willing to break the cycle of sicknes in the DTES. TThe place feeds on itself. The drug dealers have controlled that part of Vancouver way too long.

It's about time that we tried something new. After spending hundreds of millions$ in that place, Hatings and Main is still an open air drug market. The block in front of United we Can is still an open air thieves market. Ever look at the price tags still on that stuff?

Look at what homelessdave threatens... a rat-attack, he says.

The place is already FULL of rats, dave. It's about time we got rid of them. It's about time that a builder with guts tried to do something there.

If we leave it like it is, homelessdave and his rats might be happy, but it would remain the hellhole of the country.

Mike101001010100010101

Sep 10, 2011 at 1:23am

I know math probably isn't the strong suit of many of the DTES activists, but Worthington Properties bought the Pantages for $440,000 in 2004. If 1200 activists came up with $366.67 they could have purchased it. Instead, they are expecting the City of Vancouver to follow their every whim, no matter how hair-brained. If you want to do whatever you want with a particular piece of property, you need to buy it.

Dtes resedent

Sep 10, 2011 at 6:15am

The getto cycle must be stopped....100 percent social housing is insane. The dtes needs mixed housing if it is to become healthy. The way the poverty activist demonize the tax working people of Vancouver as corporate yuppies is outragouse. . The bill to pay for what they get and want comes from these working people have some respect for them.