Refer Heather Lands Debate to March 31

Are you here? Go ahead. thank you i'm calling today because i want to share my support for the new hotel proposal at 2030 barkley street i live in the area i walk by this block quite often it's a beautiful part of vancouver so close to stanley park the seawall and bustling demonstrate i truly believe that a thoughtfully designed hotel here can enhance the area bring life and activity without taking away from what makes it special i also live on mountain street in a condo built by mark on and i've been very impressed by the quality of their work and the architecture and attention to detail that makes them stand out from other developers this experience has made me confident that this hotel will be built responsibly and with care for the community and the surroundings This hotel will also bring more accommodation to the West End and hopefully keep the people walking into the lobby of my condo with their suitcases away from our community here. I want to see jobs that support local tourism and create more jobs. I also like that it will include a street-level restaurant and rooftop amenities, spaces that both residents and visitors can enjoy, while helping make the street feel more vibrant and welcoming. I also appreciate that Marcon has listened to community feedback along the way by lowering the height from 29 to 25 stories in height. as someone who lives nearby and has experienced the quality of marcon's workforce and i'm happy to support this proposal and hope the city will approve it thanks for your time and consideration great thank you very much speaker number 35 terry smith good afternoon mayor and council can you hear me we can hear you great please go ahead OK, thank you. My name is Terry Smith and I'm the executive director of the West End Business Improvement Association. The West End BIA represents approximately 650 businesses and property owners across 21 blocks of Davie, Denman and Robson streets. Our role is to champion the collective success of our local business community through branding, marketing, placemaking, advocacy and strategic partnerships. While the 2030 Barclay site sits just outside of our formal catchment, it is very much part of the broader West End and downtown ecosystem that supports our businesses. And for that reason, we are here online today to express our conditional support for Marcon's rezoning proposal at 2030 Barclay. Downtown Vancouver has experienced a significant loss of hotel inventory in recent years due to conversions to residential use closures and repurposing for social housing. At the same time, Vancouver continues to attract tourism, conventions, and major festivals, and an adequate hotel capacity is essential to meeting visitor demand and sustaining a vibrant downtown economy. This proposal would add 248 hotel rooms, a net increase of 221 rooms over the former Rosellen Suites, and rebuilding hotel capacity at this scale contributes to the visitor economy and generates increased foot traffic for our local businesses.