Finding Equilibrium: The Intersection of Growth and Community in "east van"
A blossoming community hub is currently being pushed out of their new found space. This article explores my perspective on the matter, and options for the future.
Building my audience through SoEV in this community has held me back from really sharing my political or sociological perspectives online. In publishing photos of other people, I would not want to share an opinion while having other peoples faces posted alongside. It was a conscious choice I made early on in the project, and my goal was primarily to have the photos do the talking on that platform (IG).
I’ve hinted at some perspectives here and there with some of my photos (see below), but they most likely get clicked through as people mindlessly consume stories on their lunch break…
Now, on this platform (Substack) however, because I am publishing under my own name, I feel more comfortable digging a bit deeper and sharing some of those perspectives.
Introduction
Within the past few days, I have received DM’s, had a few conversations, and have seen a few Instagram stories, related to the development application posted at 1739 Venables St (You can view it here for yourself).
If you’ve ever walked “the drive” you would be familiar with this big, yellow building that sits on the north-west corner of Commercial and Venables. In recent history, this ugly-ionic yellow corner building has been home to a Capoeira Gym, DIY Bike Repair shop, Vintage Markets, maker and artist work spaces, random pop-ups, office spaces, and, most importantly to this article, one door down, is currently home to Alterior (A Living Taste), a shop, garment manufacturer, free library, climbing spot, and most importantly, culture and community hub.
The intention of this writing is to explore some different perspectives I have on this development, future developments in the Commercial Drive area and broader East Vancouver area. I have two very juxtaposed opinions, and being able to grapple with them over the last few years has brought me here, to share them with you.
At the end of this, there will be a call to action, and I hope I can convince you that, if you love this neighborhood, either visiting it or living in it, you should openly share your opinion to ensure it stays a vibrant, open, and community driven place. I strongly encourage you to read the entire piece before making a decision, and would love to hear your perspective if you’d be willing to share below.
Development vs. Culture
I am 99% sure this topic will forever be a heated debate in any metropolitan area. The word “gentrification” is so loaded, especially in a city like Vancouver, I was very hesitant to write this article to begin with. It is so complicated, there are so many needs to address, financial incentives beyond your wildest dreams, and of course, just general politics at play.
I am by NO MEANS an expert in this area, I pay attention to city politics and policy occasionally and am interested in development and real estate slightly. My sole experience is being “boots on the ground” in this neighborhood for the past 7 years. Taking every chance I could possibly get to meet the locals, support the businesses, and document the culture in the area.
If you’d like to get educated on similar things that are going on in the city from these types of issues, I strongly recommend About Here. Uytae Lee does a great job covering all types of issues like this one, and from (in my opinion) a really fair lens. I would suggest starting with his video “The Missing Middle”, as it is parallel to the points I am trying to make here.
For this writing, I will start with my perspective on development in the city and general, and then talk about Alterior, the space being threatened.
Development (My perspective)
In my early days in Vancouver, I used to dislike the sight of any redevelopment signs, feeling they were stripping away the neighborhood's charm and character. This sentiment was fueled by a desire to preserve the the "way it is”. However, my perspective shifted when my wife and I began looking to buy in the neighborhood a couple years ago. The daunting process exposed us to the intense demand for housing in this area, prompting a reevaluation of my views on development.
Despite the challenges, the allure of East Vancouver's amenities, culture, vibrancy and lifestyle led us to consider significant sacrifices to secure a home in the neighborhood. We were willing to overlook less-than-ideal layouts, change jobs, delay starting a family, and overspend, but after seven months of constant disappointment and exhaustion from being out bid in the competitive market, we settled for a home in the suburbs instead.
Looking at the bigger picture, the imbalance between demand and supply in Vancouver is glaring. Reflecting on our own experience, I now support development efforts in the city, such as the developments that will come with the new Broadway line and zoning changes, believing that had the city/province been progressive on increased housing supply years ago, it could have alleviated our struggles and encouraged us to stay and contribute to the community we had started to build roots in.
Again, I recognize this story is nothing new, pick a random day this week and check Reddit, someone is talking about not being able to find place, articles from 2012 about Vancouver “losing its middle class”, articles from 2015 talking about “millennial flight from Vancouver”.
While I advocate for more housing, I also recognize the importance of preserving the unique character and local businesses that make neighborhoods like East Vancouver special. These conflicting perspectives drive me to consider both sides as I contemplate potential solutions.
As much as I’d LOVE to see more spaces for people to live in the neighborhood, I also HATE to see valuable, interesting, and unique places and people get pushed out by that same development.
Definitely two conflicting points of view to hold, and I will explore the culture side before I present my potential “solutions”.
Culture (Preservation and Cultivation)
A Living Taste/Alterior is currently renting the old banquet hall one door down from the yellow building. I have written about Alterior many times on this platform as they are a key purveyor of culture in this neighborhood and their space tends to have a gravitational pull on people with taste in the neighborhood. I will try to summarize their impact as best as I can, but this really is just scratching the surface of what they do for this neighborhood.
They have only been in this space for a couple of years but the network of interesting people, events, and community they bring to the neighborhood makes it feel like they’ve been there for decades, and I truly believe they are just getting started.
I visit the shop every chance I get. Sometimes it’s just a quick hello on my way by, other times it’s to sit and philosophize for a while, depending on how busy they (Cole, Dallas, and Donnel) are on that day, it’s always fun to pick their brain about trends, see what projects they have on the go, or get some inspiration from Book Section.
And I am not the only one whos doing these “pop overs”, this place is constantly bustling with friends, and friends of friends, saying hello, people shopping, setting up workshops or the next art installation, bouldering on the Balancing Acts wall, reading, shooting photos, cutting hair, the list goes on.
They’ve really created something special in this space, they made an old crusty banquet hall into a vibrant, inclusive, and beautiful place to be and on top of all this, are making beautiful, clothes, sustainably sourced, made right in house. They have a truly unique aesthetic, formulated over years of absorbing the culture of streetwear and design. Dallas and Cole have been in this space, working at it, perfecting their craft, supporting others craft, and networking with people every single day for the past two years. The only day I’ve ever popped in there to not find them, they were out for lunch with their grandma, but only a block away.
These guys are the real fucking deal and they also seem to be able to surround themselves with the same type of people:
The Book Section (which I recently wrote about) is a free library in the middle section of the space run by resident photographer Donnel Garcia, encouraging people to flip through resources, share books and knowledge.
Balancing Acts, run by Benjamin Fenton located in the very back, has become a weekly indoor bouldering meet-up in the wetter, colder months; providing a safe space for experts and rookies alike to climb, socialize, and play games. It has also served as a meeting place to bring people out into nature when the weather agrees, and lean on Ben’s expertise in bouldering outdoors. Fostering both a love for the sport, and getting into nature.
They have also opened their space up to many initiatives like Takeover Skateboarding’s free snow gear-store aimed at providing access to BIPOC in the area, as well as hosting artists to do collaborations, show their work, or sell their items.
It is highly curated, but also super open, its a beautiful act.
And, when I was in there the other day, they were very unsure of their future and that’s heartbreaking.
If you haven’t been by this place, I suggest you take an opportunity, soon, but more importantly, I suggest that, if you care about preserving things like culture and community in this neighborhood, you not only visit, but share your opinion with the city about the value of places like this, and suggest a course of action to preserve the hard work and beauty people like this have contributed.
This neighborhood is in demand, because of these people, so why push them out?
My Solution?
I will be writing my opinion to the city, for sure, about this development proposal and maybe you already have yourself.
The gut reaction would obviously be to say, NO! Stop the development, stop the gentrification. And I get that perspective, for sure, and encourage you to share that perspective, in the kindest way you can.
But, what I want to challenge the city to do, is think about how we can do both.
How can we ensure when a development like this happens, people like the brothers are protected and valued for what they bring to the neighborhood?
How can they be compensated?
How can they be promised a first look of the new retail space at a reasonable rate that reflects what they are currently paying in order to allow their business and community continue to grow, and add value, in the neighborhood.
Subsidies, community budgets, grants, all of these things exist, why not find a way to support creatives during the transition to ensure they can continue to build a community within this community for years to come.
They would love to preserve the aesthetic of the place “it reminds me of where Alterior first started, in our Grandmas basement” Dallas said when I was there, but I think more importantly, they would be more focused on the ability to continue to support the community they have brought to this space.
I argue, strongly, that without places like this, and the ability for them to be back in the neighborhood after redevelopment, we really start to see gaps in the neighborhood culture form.
I understand it is challenging and very expensive to tear down, redevelop, and build a beautiful new building, the development companies/owners would want to maximize the return on investment when looking to fill the retail spaces below, but if I were them, I would want to ensure I am filling it with good people, doing things for the neighborhood, and not another chain or conglomerate who will dilute the culture.
The development application is only accepting comments until February 23rd. My message will be simple. Find a way to support both growth and culture.
Hot take, but, if the city can “waste” 20 million dollars down the street to try and “build community” I am sure they can find some money in the budget to preserve and contribute to the people who are creating it organically.
Regardless of your perspective, I encourage you to write and contribute to the application, and any application in your neighborhood. Although I really doubt they have the time to go through all of these comments, the volume will speak louder collectively than any individual blog post, re-share, or comment, so click this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and leave them a note!
Personally, I just copied and pasted this entire thing…
