48 » OpenRoad Driver
We ’ re known as a city of green glass . I remember when Robert A . M . Stern came to town for the Olympic Village . He got in the car with a reporter and said , “ You know , this green glass in isolation is nice , but in accumulation it ’ s mediocrity .” I had the phone and I told his office that the pain of staying was going to be far worse than the leaving . I like our city , and I think that the green glass all together has given us an identity . You see what West Bank and Ian Gillespie have done to our city , and they ’ ve raised the bar with starchitecture . I ’ m a big fan of function , so we have to make sure that those suites are livable . I think we should be a little more creative . Our planning departments are so possessed over 4 % and 8 % of patio space . Maybe we need more livability , and that 40 square feet for storage can be distributed through the suite so it ’ s more livable , or they can bonus for creative amenity spaces .
Your son Kris is now in the business as a principal . How has that been ?
Well , the goal is that I don ’ t work past 2:30 pm Mondays or Fridays . I don ’ t stick to it but Kris has come in over the last 18 years , and particularly in the last five , six years . We have the likes of Greg Zayardi , our new president , and Jen Podmore left Deloitte to come over to us . I can go through all sorts of names . The transition ’ s there . What ’ s also nice is my two daughters are totally behind Kris running the company . They have their own careers , so for their mom Mieko , for myself , Carey , it just doesn ’ t get better .
You ’ re pretty controversial . Would you characterize yourself that way ?
I have a saying : whoever gets to the truth first , wins . In my controversy surrounding the Vancouver Art Gallery to this day , we should not be building a half-billion-dollar building on a $ 300-million piece of land . I ’ ve let that go . I fought for density and supply vocally since 2002 at my annual address to the Urban Development Institute . Nobody is ever going to say I was right , but supply is no longer a dirty word .
Just some rapid-fire questions to end .
Most memorable bite ? For food , I still consider La Quercia .
Most rewarding sale ? Not financially , but turning this building over to the Chinese Canadian Museum because it ’ s so parallel to our beliefs .
Favourite car ? My Nash Metropolitan that I had to sell because I burned out the engine .
Next place you want to visit ? I ’ ve never been to Japan . I have Japanese children that have all been to Japan . It ’ s a goal for next year .
One word only , I am ... Fortunate – in all aspects .
Background left : |
Ed Clark , Orange Front , 1962 |
Background right : |
Frank Bowling , South America Squared , 1967 |