Pantages development protesters resurrect Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol

by Jessica Werb on August 4th, 2011 at 3:17 PM

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Protesters of the planned condo development on the site of the former Pantages Theatre at 138 East Hastings resurrected the ghosts of Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol at a demonstration against the development this morning. The stunt in the lane behind the demolition site came in response to a recent press release by property owner Marc Williams which called that part of Hastings a “dead zone.”

Arts groups and artists were among the protesters voicing their opposition to the development, which would include a 2,500-square-foot art space on the main floor in addition to 79 one-bedroom condos to be sold at $227,000, and 18 social-housing units. Williams has said the condo’s target market is artists and employees of the DTES non-profit societies, and that a letter of intent has been signed with the non-profit group Art Space Action Society to purchase about 2,500 square feet at a discounted rate for an arts facility on the main floor. But the protesters said those plans did not reflect the real needs of the community.

“One of the things that Marc Williams claims is that he’s building these condos for artists,” said a woman dressed as Frida Kahlo, who declined to give her real name. “I’m an artist, and I can’t afford a quarter-million-dollar condo. He also claims that this is a dead zone, that no one will be displaced because there is no life down here.”¦ This community has more artists per capita density than any other area in B.C., and in Canada we are the second, according to Census Canada. The first is downtown Montreal, and the Downtown Eastside is the second.”

Speaking as “Andy Warhol,” community organizer and artist Nathan Crompton said Warhol himself would not have been able to afford one of the Sequel 138 units: “I’m Andy Warhol, and there’s no way I would have been able to afford a quarter-million-dollar condo before I made it big. Let me tell you in Vancouver, there’s not more than four or five or ten artists who made it big.”

He continued: “So are they marketing these condos to the 10 artists who made it big in Vancouver? They already have their places to live.”¦ To say this is for artists is to unleash a marketing scheme that’s not going to do anything but bring in people to the community who aren’t from here. And why that matters is because it’s about property values. There’s affordable housing in this area, and if you bring in a high-end luxury development, you’re going to change the structure of the property market.”

Housing activist Rider Cooey, speaking as "Salvador Dali", called the plans for the development surreal. "I don’t think there’s anything any more surreal than the idea that by buying a condo at Main and Hastings, you will be able to have any effect whatsoever other than negative on the social problems of this neighbourhood," he said.

"Marc Williams and [his company] Worthington Properties have no interest in artistic activities, no interest in the low-income community. They are purely developers for profit and they plan to do it off the backs of the people who live in this neighbourhood and have struggled here for decades."

Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council board member Harold Lavender, channelling Vincent Van Gogh, vociferously rejected the planned development.

"I was a little crazy when I was alive," said "Van Gogh". "I was a dangerous to other people and I was dangerous to myself. I was a little self-destructive and the proponents of morality really didn’t like me at all. Now I come back here, reborn, it’s going to make me totally crazy again. This is not a place for lovers of beauty and certainly not a place for crazy people."

Comments

12 Comments

Ray I

Aug 4, 2011 at 4:19pm

If these "activists" spent as much time accomplishing something with their lives instead of being professional complainers they would have no problem affording a condo at Main and Hastings. Their lives must be pretty depressing if they honestly prefer a rat infested shooting gallery to affordable new condos, space for artists and additional subsidized housing.

Why are these people always against development? Do they really think the DTES is better off just left abandoned to the crack dealers and slum lords?

buzz

Aug 4, 2011 at 4:32pm

Don't property owners in the DTES have a right to try to increase the value of their properties like everyone else in Canada???

eastsidechick

Aug 4, 2011 at 5:07pm

who the hell would pay that to live there?

Ray I

Aug 4, 2011 at 5:56pm

@eastsidechick - at $225k i am betting a lot of people considering a pace just 2 blocks west is 2 to 3 times that price. The mortgage on that would be less than rent in the most modest Gastown condo. And when the neighbourhood improves (which it will in time) it will be a good investment.

Marc Williams

Aug 4, 2011 at 6:21pm

I am the owner of the Pantages Theatre site on East Hastings. I welcome the zombies.

First, we had the dead zone at this little site. Now, the undead.

I welcome Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. I have always admired their art. And their costumes. And their bizarre sense of humour.

Our zombies must never be forgotten. They add to the rich street life of our neighbourhood.

We will make room for them in a special crypt. We will put this crypt in the basement. That way, the zombies won’t have far to travel when they join us for the Grand Opening of Sequel 138 next year.

The zombies are always welcome, no matter how tattered they look.

As Jessica correctly reported, Sequel 138 is an arts and housing project in the DTES.

It will provide 79 units of affordable housing for artists and those who work in the DTES; 18 units of social housing; 2500 square feet of art space; and, a breezeway connecting East Pender to East Hastings.

I think it's a great project -- zombies and all.

Rick in Richmond

Aug 4, 2011 at 6:33pm

I'm amazed. A developer wants to put up his own money in the DTES. Unheard of.

I've been down there. What he wants to do will be 1000 times better than what they have right now. The losers who want free housing for life should try to make friends with this guy.

He's damn gutsy to try to do anything in that crack zone. More power to him. How much do you want to bet that VANDU is against it? All they approve is free dope, free crackpipes, and free housing for life. Good luck, Williams. You'll need it.

Tami Starlight

Aug 4, 2011 at 6:36pm

Looks like the same old classist remarks from misinformed oppressive people! (referring to the first 3 remarks)

How truly sad!

Gladly many people on this stolen native land do not believe and think like you 3 do! (I know there are plenty more who will post - just like you) I remain hopeful as I collaborate equally with people in my community for the betterment of those not so well off and for each other.

Idiot men with tons of privilege posting online about people they could care less about, when in fact, they should. Same ol' crap.

In the end.
We will continue to fight inequality that this capitalist society is.
We will expose the oppressive institutions, companies and people.
We will continue to mobilize our beautiful community.

http://dnchome.wordpress.com

The revolution continues - THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE!

Ray I

Aug 4, 2011 at 7:13pm

@Tami - the revolution is over. Your side lost! Housing for the poor will be built and it will be built in the context of profit maximizing capitalism. No one wants to share in your "equality of misery" system.

GOT

Aug 4, 2011 at 8:40pm

remember all the 'artist live-work studios' that were built in the Main Street/ 2nd Avenue area back in the 90's? I do because I bought one - and I was one of the very few artists who could afford to. The rest of the residents were 'professionals' of every persuasion looking for cheap, flippable housing. When I wrote to the city to ask what criteria were used to make sure that the residents were artists, I was informed that all they had to do was say that they were! Within weeks of moving in these 'instant artists' were complaining about noise and smells and all the usual things that go with inexpensive housing and the odd artist working at 3 in the morning with a bit of paint and music...the whole thing was a scam as far as I'm concerned - developers getting the 'green light' for building extremely basic housing because it supposedly met a 'need'. Instead of bulldozing the artists in the Hastings area, why doesn't the city ask them what they really need/want? They won't get it, because Vancouver city council doesn't give a shit about WHAT they want or need, and never has, but you'd think this time around they'd at least ask. In the meantime, you can bet that everyone except artists is drooling at getting their greasy paws on a cheap condo in Vancouver. It won't be long before the 'art space' is a gym, and the places are being flipped left, right and centre. It's called gentrification, and when an area gets so shitty that only junkies, boozehounds and artists will live there (and those are not mutually exclusive categories), you can bet that someone will exploit the situation with a scheme like this one - and pretend it's for the benefit of 'artists' as they go whistling to the bank. Thanks a lot Gregor.