Port of Vancouver Discussion

[CanSpice]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

It always amazes me at how many areas in Metro-Vancouver fight against the primary industry that keeps the local economy healthy.

Keeping the local economy healthy shouldn't come at the cost of health or environmental damage, though. There are trade-offs and compromises to everything.

[wrenegade]

What is the health or environmental damage here though? The proposed grain terminal is more than 700 metres from the closest residential property. This is nothing like Richardson terminals (approximately 100m from residential neighbourhoods). It is a wholly industrial neighbourhood and exactly the location that new a facility should be built. I understood some of the residents concerns with the Richardson terminal expansion as the neighbourhood went through a lengthy consultation process with the City, Port and Railway over the Low Level Road project and the expanded grain silos was never mentioned, only to have the project approved and 3 months later the grain silos proposal appear.

In any event, this project falls under Port Metro Vancouver jurisdiction and a consultation process is done as a favour to the community, they don't require municipal approval.

[SOSS]

This is a good location for such a project. The port and railway existed long before any NIMBYs lived there. It should be expected that things will change. Can't blame them for pushing back, but if health, safety and environmental concerns are met, I see no reason to block this development.

[AverageJoe]

Plans to expand Centerm:

"Port Metro Vancouver is planning a $320-million expansion of its Centerm container terminal, increasing capacity by 66 per cent – from 900,000 TEUs to 1.5 million TEUs. The terminal footprint will grow seven acres westward, through a larger wharf structure and earth fill enclosed by rock dykes, to create a larger and reconfigured container yard and intermodal yard."



http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2016/02/p...erm-expansion/

[Jebby]

Can't wait for the NIMBY whining.

[SOSS]

Comparing the image to google maps, I don't see much in the way of new facility. Is much of the increased container capacity because of improved efficiency?

[urbancanadian]

Originally Posted by SOSS

Comparing the image to google maps, I don't see much in the way of new facility. Is much of the increased container capacity because of improved efficiency?

I posted a document about a month ago which gives an update on the project, after jlousa alerted us to it. It even contains the same pic from the Vancity Buzz article.

Among other things, the project proposes a new quay extension, removal and replacement of the Ballantyne Pier deck, new operations building and reconfigured truck entry area, added rail capacity through efficiencies and another track, access improvements, removal of the Heatley Avenue overpass, and more. The VCB article answers your question pretty well.

Also, it looks like the Centennial Road overpass will be another viaduct structure similar to the one along Stewart Street.

Here's a larger version of the pic:

Originally Posted by urbancanadian

Thanks! Good to see this moving forward. What exactly are you quoting? I'd be interested in seeing more info.

Also, a small nitpick... could we change the title of the thread to "Port Metro Vancouver Discussion"?

EDIT
Here's a brief overview from December 8, 2015: http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/wp...t-Overview.pdf

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by SOSS

Comparing the image to google maps, I don't see much in the way of new facility. Is much of the increased container capacity because of improved efficiency?

It went from not being in front of Crab Park to completely blocking it. Seabus might have an issue with that. Also expanded on the east side. People are gonna go nuts.

Heatley overpass getting removed will greatly improve that part of the DTES though. There's a reason drug dealers/hookers hang out there.

[Metro-One]

It is almost as if Vancouver is a growing city in a growing country, and one of our city's primary industry (shipping) is expanding its presence on one of the world's most ideal natural deep water ports. Wow!

Seriously, this is a great thing for our city, any increase in our industrial base (especially one already so well established in the area) is a good thing. Tired of the condo economy.

Question, can't quite tell from the renders, but will that be an elevated road on the north side of the rail yard east of the roundabout?

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Question, can't quite tell from the renders, but will that be an elevated road on the north side of the rail yard east of the roundabout?

Yep it looks like they want an overpass/viaduct all the way between DP World and Vanterm.

[Vin]

The Centerm and Vanterm container terminals look pretty small by world standards, especially for a city that receives the imports from Asia Pacific to serve the entire country, so I'm not surprised they are looking to expand. I guess the Westport as well as the Fraser River terminals also contribute to the volume handling capabilities of this region. It is amazing that virtually everything made in China/Asia sold in bigger cities like Toronto and Montreal has to go through our container terminals.

I do remember a time not too long ago when there were only 3 container cranes at the Centerm Terminal. They've already added a couple more since then.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Can't wait for the NIMBY whining.

Georgia Straight gets the ball rolling

http://www.straight.com/news/642676/...r-gets-its-way

CRAB Park at Portside, the only waterfront public green space in the Downtown Eastside, is under threat by a proposal from Port Metro Vancouver.

It's fronting for DP World's chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem of Dubai, and the company is an international terminal operator and container shipper, using large freighters.

CRAB Park was formed in 1987 through the five-year advocacy work of Crab-Water for Life Society.

It's a small Downtown Eastside environmental group that has organized an annual free live music and food festival on Canada Day at CRAB Park for about 25 years.

For decades on February 14, the society has held a small vigil at the memorial boulder for the missing and murdered women of the Downtown Eastside, saying prayers and laying some pink carnations in their memory. This memorial was placed by the society.

The society is concerned about DP World's plan to expand the Centerm pier. Its stated proposal would see container shipping expand by two-thirds, and encroach further on the view from the park.


Port Metro Vancouver wants to increase the footprint of Centerm's terminal in Burrard Inlet.
Last May, there was a container chemical incident on this site that shut down most of the Downtown Eastside for the afternoon. There were people walking around with handkerchiefs on their faces complaining about the toxic fumes.

Had this incident been more serious, it would have been impossible to evacuate residents and downtown office workers.

CRAB Park has a world-class view of the central waterfront of Vancouver, the ocean, and the North Shore mountains. Much of this view will be lost if the Centerm proposal is approved.


An expansion of Centerm will extend the terminal in front of CRAB Park.
The proposed expansion would also have impacts on the circulation of tidal flows. This could harm the quality of water at CRAB Park beach.

Currently, a few hearty individuals swim in the summer months, and some children wade in the water at the beach. The water is cold but clean.

With restrictions or interference by an extended pier, water circulation would be affected and there could be a loss of water quality and rising coliform counts. There is also a storm sewer outfall at the western boundary of the park.

The society worked hard for five years, including holding a 75-day occupation of Crown land in 1984, to create this jewel.

Does Port Metro Vancouver care about the loss of environmental quality of CRAB Park at Portside?

[Metro-One]

Dont worry, Crab Park will still be there.

Man, sometimes I wish we were located on a flat plain so everyone could stop with the view nonsense.

There are views everywhere in this city.

I love the last line, "Does Port Metro Vancouver care about the loss of environmental quality of CRAB Park at Portside?"

My guess is probably more so than Crab-Water for Life Society cares about the economic impacts of not expanding for the Port and region in general.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Georgia Straight gets the ball rolling

http://www.straight.com/news/642676/...r-gets-its-way

Nimbys gonna nimby.

Anyway, here's a good graphic from the article showing that the expansion is quite minimal in terms of size. I'm assuming the majority of the increased capacity will come from more efficient use of space.


http://d2ciprw05cjhos.cloudfront.net...?itok=HRhkn9Tg

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Georgia Straight gets the ball rolling

http://www.straight.com/news/642676/...r-gets-its-way

Man, that article kind of rambles all over the place, doesn't it?

I have some sympathy for the point of view, but it's pretty poorly expressed in that piece, IMHO.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Nimbys gonna nimby.

Anyway, here's a good graphic from the article showing that the expansion is quite minimal in terms of size. I'm assuming the majority of the increased capacity will come from more efficient use of space.

Thanks for the graphic. I thought the overall footprint expansion was minimal. We live in a Port City; that should come with an expectation of improvements and expansions. Just like the northshore complainers about added grain towers or Port Moody complainers about expanded PCT facilities. I get it. People are generally against change. But the only thing that is guaranteed is things will change. I for one am upset that the Flavelle Sawmill site will be converted to mixed use residential. If a sawmill at that site no longer makes sense, fine. Something else industrial will. Instead, they're cashing out and developers are going to make a mint.

[Infrequent Poster]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Nimbys gonna nimby.

Anyway, here's a good graphic from the article showing that the expansion is quite minimal in terms of size. I'm assuming the majority of the increased capacity will come from more efficient use of space.


http://d2ciprw05cjhos.cloudfront.net...?itok=HRhkn9Tg

They should fill in that entire middle section. Basically create one facility where there is now two.

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Infrequent Poster

They should fill in that entire middle section. Basically create one facility where there is now two.

They're completely separate, competing companies. Vanterm and Deltaport are the same company though I think.

[Infrequent Poster]

Fair point. Lol. Was more just kind of imagining things.

[officedweller]

Off-topic, but...

Massive cargo ship arrives in Seattle’s Elliott Bay
By Janet I. Tu
Seattle Times business reporter



The largest cargo ship to visit the United States, the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, arrived in Seattle Monday morning.

It is expected to berth at The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Terminal 18 in Seattle.

The vessel is longer than the Empire State Building, wider than a football field, and as tall as a 20-floor building, according to CMA CGM, a French container shipping company. (That’s 1,300 feet long, 177 feet wide, and 197 feet tall.)

It has a capacity of 18,000 TEUs (or twenty foot equivalent units — the standard unit of measurement for cargo capacity).

...

The Benjamin Franklin is stopping in Seattle, after previous stops in Long Beach and Oakland, as part of a test call to see how quickly cranes at the ports can load and unload and how quickly containers can be brought to and taken from the port, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Because the Benjamin Franklin greatly exceeds the size of ships the ports usually see, the test call will show what parts of the infrastructure need to be expanded or upgraded.
...

http://www.seattletimes.com/business...n-elliott-bay/

See also:

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/n...ant-ships.html