Vancouver council considers Olympic party plazas

A report on a plan to turn two locations in downtown Vancouver into Olympics celebration sites comes before city council on Tuesday.

Under the $23-million plan outlined in the administrative report, the David Lam Park on the north end of False Creek and a parking lot on Georgia and Beatty Streets will be transformed into huge party plazas, where people can watch performances, enjoy cultural events and visit sponsor booths.

The entertainment will be free and some Olympic events will be broadcast on big screens, said Coun. Peter Ladner, a supporter of the concept.

"What this is, is the way we get the people of Vancouver to get involved with the Olympics and … turn it into a big party," Ladner said Thursday.

"There'll be a lot of life, a lot of street life and it will really be a good thing for the citizens of Vancouver."

The plan entails the use of Hamilton and Mainland Streets as a connecting link between the two live sites, and Robson Street as a connector to the Robson Square provincial site, the report says.

The city will pay $5 million toward the project, withthe rest of the funding expected to come from Ottawa, corporate sponsors and rentals.

Feedbackfrom aseries of preliminary public information sessions held early in September was supportive of the plan, the report says.

If council approves the plan, city officials will submit another report on the detailed design early next year.