New Coal Harbour Elementary School Moving Forward
By: Pouya Ghomi
For years we have been hearing rumors about a new school in Coal Harbour area beside the current community center. Well the Vancouver school board has decided to go forward with the said project, and to build a 10-storey building in the parking lot adjacent to the park. The project will be completed by 2023 and it will act as a temporary substitute for the students of Lord Roberts Annex while BC Hydro goes forward with their new project to build an underground substation beneath the current school location in West End. By 2028 the construction of the new Lord Roberts Annex will be completed and the Coal Harbour building will act as a much needed school space for downtown area as well as community amenities, daycare and social housing.
BC Hydro first announced their plans for this project in 2017. However they canceled the plan shortly after over the City of Vancouver’s demands for a full market price of the value of the land used. A 2017 Stantec study and another independent review by Vancouver Coastal Health concluded that there are no significant health and safety issues with the proposed project.