Richmond is planning to carry on its post-Olympic legacy with a $4 billion development project that will add density to the city and attract international travelers.

While it’s still in the planning phase, the proposed design will feature a Vancouver International Plaza at Duck Island, rejuvenating the now-defunct industrial land near River Rock Casino.

If everything goes smoothly, construction will commence as early as 2013.

The major entertainment and commercial destination will have six luxury hotels and four million square feet of development, including a riverfront walkway and plaza, piers, a park, sports courts and gardens, and a dock for ferries.

Gary Pooni, president of Brook Pooni Associates, the Vancouver-based project manager and planning consultant for the proposal, is a huge supporter of the development and what it can bring to Richmond, comparing it to other international projects seen in LA and Singapore.

“They become office, hotel, entertainment, retail, restaurant and a convention centre…  an international destination,” he said. “It becomes another reason to visit Metro Vancouver and Richmond… It will also be for the local people of Richmond who just want some-thing to do,” he said.

Richmond’s mayor Malcolm Brodie also has his eyes set on a new Skytrain stop to service the area, but admits the cash-strapped Translink would be unable to fund it. He’s proposing that buyers of the 6,600 units of housing being built in the area to deposit $7800 each into a fund for the station.

We’re looking forward to more updates on the exciting proposal in Richmond!

 

Source: TheBuzz