COPSHOP DEATHSTAR* GENTRIFICATION TECH HUB: A STORY OF BETRAYAL

By Formerly Homeless Dave

 

 

The previous day Tom Laviolette the rep for Vancity Foundation, an arm of Vancity Bank came to Carnegie to sell the Tech Hub as a done deal. He said `i know you have wanted Social Housing at that site but that is not going to happen.` during my hunger strike in `13 i demanded that site be social housing and we had a great community paint-in at VPD building. During the Oppenheimer Park Occupation 14 we called for that site to be Social and Emergency Housing and a Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Centre.

 

So as a good gentrification model would be, artists and musicians would be in the basement at a membership rate of $1-$5-that should get community Buy-In- the bank bigwigs plot.

 

In the Upper floors the Tenants are PIVOT LEGAL, BC CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOC,

ECOJUSTICE. THE VANCOUVER LABOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL.

 

VanEast Roasters will serve them all feel good Coffee and Tea.

 

I questioned the rep on how the Vancouver Economic Commission is involved.

As they are the Original plotters for the Venture Capital Tech Hub(Note-VCC is Mayor Gregor`s pet project to build the Tech industry in Vancouver(Read DTES).

 

He said the VCC made then form a Community Advisory Board-that is concerned about the Devoplement of the Tech hub. Problem is we`re not on it. Its made up of bigwigs from industry and government. Such as Nathan Edelson who was the Chief Planner for the DTES. He was a key player in the ReDevelopment of  the massive gentrification project Woodwards. he was also key player in gentrification and Displacement of Chinatown in his influential role at the Chinatown Heights Hearings. He has come to finish the gentrification displacement of DTES with the Tech hub.

 

I questioned the Vancity rep if the lease with the Tech corp Spring Activator as been signed--he said NO. So I am asking our Famalia-PIVOT LEGAL, BC CIVIL LIBERTIES ASSOC,

ECOJUSTICE. THE VANCOUVER LABOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL. to use their clout financial. moral and ethical to Demand that NO Tech Hub be allowed in the VPD building. If that happens there will be NO end to the Tech people moving into the DTES.

 

Lastly, when i was on Hunger Strike against Gentrification and Displacement. i met with Vancity Bank senior Executive Andy Broderick who is in charge of the Project. He promised me he would not do the project., especially a gentrification project without the approval of our community. I asked him., define community approval--he said`98%`My witnesses to this at that meeting are Fraser Stewart and Wendy Pederson. Catherine Ludgate of Vancity was also there.

(*Note: The top two floors will still be under construction at Nov opening. Vancity says no plans yet for those floors. I told him i guarantee you those two floors will be for used for expanding the Tech Hub, he did not try to deny. That is the original goal of the VCC and Mayor Gregor)

 

Vancouver Community Foundation and the City of Vancouver Community Advisory Board Copshop Tech Hub 312 Main St DTES

 

Denise Williams - First Nation Technology Council, also President of the Vancouver Aboriginal Policing Society and board member of the Urban Native Youth Association

Elizabeth Sheehan - CEO of Climate Smart
Nathan Edelson - Former City planner and senior partner 42nd Street Consulting.
Peter Wrinch - Former ED of Pivot Legal Society, currently lead organizer of Nation Builder
Jill Earthy - Futurepreneur Canada
Shawn Smith - Radius - SFU’s social innovation lab and venture incubator
Jim Fletcher - Vision Critical and member of Social Venture Partners
Allen Menser - Business consultant

 

Downtown Eastside tech hub preps for November 2016 launch