A new plaza will replace the dilapidated and dreary former C-Tran bus mall on Seventh Street between Broadway and Washington Street. The mall was dismantled recently, due largely to the emergence of C-Tran’s new park& ride facility, with transfer station, in Hazel Dell on 99th Street near Interstate 5. A lot of Vancouverites were thrilled to see the downtown bus mall hit the road, arguing that the hang-out spot it created was hurting nearby businesses. The new transfer station in Hazel Dell is more commuter-focused.

To envision the former bus mall becoming a people place that connects Esther Short Park with shops and restaurants on Main and nearby streets is exciting. To hear that the plaza will be made with recycled items that can be moved if necessary is refreshing.

The old bus mall itself, owned by C-Tran, isn’t a candidate for retail or office space, which some might argue would be a better use of the land to bring in tax dollars. C-Tran needs to hang onto the site, because transit officials and others are unsure if the spot will be used to accommodate future transportation needs related to a new Columbia River crossing.

A new bridge is years away even if approved tomorrow, however. So in the meantime, building a public space for the community’s enjoyment makes sense. And it won’t be a waste because of an innovative approach to the makeover.

Using private donations and state grant dollars, the estimated cost of the plaza is $250,000. Whatever is built can be moved, according to a recent story in The Columbian. Concrete chunks will be cut from the pavement and used for benches and planter boxes. Reused materials from various government agencies will turn into a large water feature.

The plaza has been named Turtle Place, to honor Native Americans who once used the downtown area as a gathering spot. A mural that plays off of that name and the plaza’s use of recyclables will rise on a wall between Main and Washington, facing Seventh Street.

Law enforcement officials will have to ensure that the new public space remains a safe gathering place rather than a hang-out for the aimless, as was the old bus mall. Doing that goes hand in hand with ensuring quality shelters and other resources for homeless people.

If you needed a reminder to volunteer or donate money to your favorite shelter, service agency or nonprofit helping people who are down on their luck, here’s your prompt. Displacing people in need should never be what new public spaces are about. If these people are out of sight, they should not be out of mind. And the reality is they simply will be in sight somewhere else. It is our human obligation to ensure basic safety and core services for the needy, especially those without a residence. At the same time, transient takeovers of public spaces serve no one. 

The Turtle Place project should be finished this summer. Look forward to seeing this site come out of its former shell.