The York Theatre’s current owner says he still wants to demolish the theatre.

In conversation today (December 18), shortly after councillors rejected staff recommendations and voted unanimously for a 100 percent density transfer for the theatre, Paul Phillips, president of Vintage Development Corp., said he is going ahead with plans for townhouses on the site.

“Today’s decision at council doesn’t change anything of any substance in terms of our plans for the site,” he said. “Our only option at the moment is to proceed with our plans to demolish the theatre and proceed with our development....Until it [an offer] arrives and depending what the offer is, it’s never a done deal.”

Phillips said that despite the downturn in the real-estate market, he still feels his vision for the site is achievable.

“We believe in it, even with the current climate,” he said. “We still feel it’s a viable project.”

He added that he had purchased the property for just under $1 million, and invested another $300,000 in consultant and holding costs. Any sale of the property would “at a minimum” have to take those costs into account, he said, but he would not say how much he would expect to be offered.

Local developer Bruno Wall, president of Wall Financial Corp., has been working with the Vancouver East Cultural Centre to help save the York Theatre, and is expected to make an offer to Phillips before January 15, when a 120-day protection order on the site runs out.

Phillips said unless Wall makes his offer soon, he’ll bring out the wrecking ball.

“If Bruno doesn’t come to our doorstep until January 15...we would have committed ourselves to continue demolition and construction,” he said.

Meanwhile, members of the arts community are hailing today’s council decision.

“This sends a message out to everyone in the city saying that here is a council who actually supports the arts and culture, for once,” said Tom Durrie, founder of the Save the York Theatre Task Force. “I think that this is a new ballgame now. Council is going to start running the city instead of staff running the city. This is great.”

Heather Redfern, executive director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, which is set to operate the York Theatre upon its restoration, also praised the council decision.

“I really think this new council is a very interesting group of people, and I was feeling optimistic going into the meeting today,” she said. “I feel like they’re going to get a lot done, and this is the first thing they’re going to get done.”

Redfern said she anticipated reopening the York by 2012.

“The first step now is for Bruno to make an offer to the developer for purchase of the property that is accepted before January 15,” she said.