As cities go, are we up for it?

BLOG #597: City council offers yet another example where London, now the self-described City of Opportunity, shows signs of failing to understand what its slogan actually means. Think big we can’t.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012

The world is coming. The question, though, will London ever be ready for prime time?

Increasingly – at least as the answer is expressed through the words of wisdom dished out by city council – an observer is confused at best and downright pessimistic at worst.

It’s not just the ever-narrowing attitude on the part of some councillors about the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships which will be held here. It’s a growing list of examples where London, now the self-described City of Opportunity, shows signs of failing to understand what its slogan actually means.

The latest example popped up last night during a routine review at city council of the recommendations of its planning and environment committee. Down there at number 16 was this item: “Market Lane Design Competition – Winning Design Announcement.”

Market Lane, in case you’re not intimately familiar with downtown London, is a slice of open space, a walkway of sorts, that runs between Dundas Street and Covent Market Place. On its east side is a vacant building with a large brick wall. On the west side is the building Fanshawe College has purchased as phase one of its new downtown campus for theatre arts.

Whatever we think of Market Lane today – which, by all accounts, isn’t often and isn’t much – city planners see its potential as a cool gathering spot in a re-energized downtown.

As part of the overall preparations for the skating championships, city council agreed last year on a project that would make Market Lane an integral part of the triangle of restaurants-John Labatt Centre-Dundas Street that is expected to be action central for the championships and well beyond that.

The city’s commitment to the games, upwards of $3.6 million (although that point-six is in jeopardy) is to provide a lasting legacy once the skaters have gone home.

To ensure we got the biggest bang for our buck in Market Lane – the buck(s) could reach $750,000 – council approved an international design competition with a $75,000 prize. Five entries made it to the finals and Hapa Collaboration of Vancouver was chosen. You can find their very, very cool proposal here.

All that was announced weeks ago, along with a notation that the winning team would now work on the construction documents to be tendered in April, with construction to begin in July. Last night’s council agenda item was mere housecleaning, a moment to celebrate both the widespread national interest in our idea and the sophistication of the winning design.

Except sometimes there is no such thing.

One by one the naysayers began their whines. Harold Usher was worried about the brick wall on the east; what would happen to the design if someone wanted to put a door in it? (Nothing). Denise Brown was cranky about paying the winner; don’t even think about building it. (Council actually approved it last year). Stephen Orser thought it a mecca for vandalism and worried there was no place for people to have lunch or study. (Wrong, the design shows lots of such spaces). Paul Van Meerbergen was, as usual, Dr. No – “to think we’re going to spend this kind of money for an alley that is 100 feet long is preposterous.”

And that got the mayor’s dander up. “When we make a commitment as a city we need to stick to it,” he said. “Council endorsed a national competition. Our name is all over the place. We’ve already passed the budget and the project. Our credibility is becoming questionable in some circles. Our national reputation is at stake.”

Ultimately paying the winner squeaked by 8-6 with Councillors Nancy Branscombe, Matt Brown and Dale Henderson joining Councillors Denise Brown, Orser and Van Meerbergen.

Too late. Once again, given an opportunity to strut its potential as a city ready for the big time, a true city of opportunity, London chose to think parochial.

Or as Councillor Orser expressed it in Smallville terms: “My credibility with the voters (of Ward 4) is more important than someone in Vancouver.”

SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATE – The $600,000 for a colourful light show as part of the World Figure Skating Championships, narrowly slashed from the budget by council earlier this month, has won a reprieve. Mayor Fontana succeeded in getting it referred to the finance and administration committee for another look after a plea from Tourism London.