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THE PROVINCE
Yaletown park to become Olympic party plaza
By Damian Inwood, The Province
Published: Thursday, September 13, 2007
Yaletown's David Lam Park will be transformed into a 2010 party plaza as part of Vancouver's $23-million Olympic "live-site" program.
And about 1.6 million people are expected to attend two downtown Vancouver Winter Games plazas, says a report going to city council Tuesday.
David Lam Park and the old bus depot site at Georgia and Beatty streets will be alcohol-free zones with big-screen TVs, entertainment stages, food outlets and sponsor villages, says the report.
But officials admit the neighbourhood could face noise and disruption. "There will be a lot of . . . impacts on daycare facilities, schools, businesses and the movement of goods that will occur, as well as noise and so forth," said Dave Rudberg, the city's Olympic co-ordinator yesterday. "These are all issues to be worked out with the residents and the business owners as we go forward."
The two plazas will be linked by a "historic trail" along Hamilton and Mainland streets and will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the 17-day Games, says the report.
The Beatty Street site will have a capacity of 10,000, with up to 13,000 at David Lam Park.
City taxpayers will pay $5 million toward the project, with a further $10 million coming from the federal government.
Another $5.9 million will come from merchandising, food and beverage licensing and rentals.
Both venues will have a fenced security perimeter and gates will have airport-style bag-screening devices.
The live sites will have 24-hour remote video-surveillance cameras, closed-circuit monitoring, and surrounding streets will also have video surveillance, says the report.
"We have to plan for a high level of security and, hopefully, we won't need as much as we plan for," said Rudberg.
Council will be asked to approve $200,000 to draw up a detailed plan due early next year.
Salvatore Gallo, who co-owns Yaletown Gelato and Espresso Bar, said he won't be bothered by the upheaval.
"I like the buzz you get from a lot of people," said Gallo, who has lived at Homer and Davie for 10 years and who walks his dog at David Lam Park. "We have the jazz festival there every year."
But he said street closures could get annoying and parking will be "hell."
Annette O'Shea, executive director of the Yaletown Business Improvement Association, was delighted by the news.
"We are very excited," she said. "Yaletown has been looking at ways of getting involved with the Olympics and this puts us right in the middle of it."
She said the neighbourhood stages the one-day Yaletown Street Party every year, which attracts between 40,000 and 60,000 people.
"We're seeing the Olympics as an opportunity to have 17 street parties in a row in February 2010," she said. "When you bring in 40,000 to 60,000 people to play, everyone wins - restaurants, bars, residents and school kids."
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VANCOUVER SUN
Vancouver plans two 'live sites' for Olympics
Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, September 13, 2007
Vancouver is planning to create not one, but two "live sites" during the 2010 Winter Games where spectators can gather to watch performances and visit Olympic sponsor booths.
The $23 million plan - of which $5 million will come from city taxpayers and the rest from the federal government and corporate rentals - would see two massive public celebration sites at the old bus depot site bounded by Beatty, Georgia and Dunsmuir Streets, and at David Lam Park on the north shore of False Creek.
Vancouver council is being asked to approve the two-site plan in a report going to council Tuesday. Dave Rudberg, the city's manager of Olympic operations, said in the report the dual celebration sites could attract about 25,000 people daily.
The sites would be used for daily and nightly celebrations, as well as cultural events and Olympic sponsor displays.
The idea of a "live site" is not new; the host city of every modern Olympics has created a special zone or area for public gatherings. In Turin, the most recent Winter Games host, the city used a number of its historic plazas to attract people. It also converted a large area in the middle of a residential district to a sponsor village that included a temporary skating rink.
In Vancouver's case, Rudberg says the two temporary sites - one of which is a parking lot and the other a waterfront park - would spread the festivities through the Yaletown entertainment district, since they will be linked via Hamilton and Mainland streets. Both sites will feature large television screens showing highlights of the Olympics and tracking the efforts of Canadian athletes. A waterborne stage is also being considered for the David Lam Park site.
Rudberg said the province is also considering activating its Robson Square public space as a celebration site.
The bus depot location, which is across the street from a first nations pavilion proposed for property next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, would remain open during the Paralympics. The other site would shut down.
According to the council report, the plan will cost $23.2 million. The federal government is contributing $10 million, with $5 million from the city and the balance coming from space rentals and commissions on merchandise and food and beverage sales. The budget doesn't indicate any contribution from the Vancouver Organizing Committee, which is organizing the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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CKNW
A great way to wind down an Olympic day
Sep, 12 2007 - 10:50 PM
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) - Imagine watching the 2010 Games on giant video screens with 13-thousand people in the middle of downtown Vancouver. That's what the City of Vancouver is hoping for by planning for not one, but two 2010 live sites.
One of the sites would be David Lam Park in Yaletown, which would hold 13-thousand people and would be the venue for a nightly closing show. The other site is the parking lot on Beatty Street next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Both sites are close to Skytrain and Canada Line stations.
Council would need to approve 200-thousand dollars of funding from the Olympic Legacy Reserve Fund next week for more detailed plans. The entire project would cost 23-million dollars, most of which would come from the Federal Government and sponsors. The City expects to chip-in five million.
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NEWS 1130
City wants 2010 Games party zone
Thursday, September 13 - 05:10:00 AM Treena Wood
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Vancouver will be hosting the world in 2010 and if City Hall gets its way, Yaletown will host the party. A report going to council next Tuesday suggests transforming David Lam Park into an Olympic party plaza.
The park and the old bus depot at Georgia and Beatty would be alcohol-free zones with big-screen TV's, entertainment stages, food outlets and sponsor villages.
City staff admits the neighbourhood will face "noise and disruption" but the local business association loves the idea.
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