It is an oldie but goodie, a story that bears repeating. But as The Columbian recently recounted the revitalization of Esther Short Park that began nearly 20 years ago, it triggered a thought: What comes next?
Of course, such an inquiry is essential to any effort at avoiding stagnation. And it is essential when imagining the future of “Vancouver’s living room” as the city continues to reinvent itself. As Sean Douglas of Vancouver’s parks program told The Columbian: “We’re always having an internal conflict about how many events are possible for the downtown area. It’s a tricky balance we have to walk. Some neighbors love the events and others, not so much.”
It is, indeed, a tricky balance. This year, the park has been host to 50 permitted events, many of them taking place over multiple days. Then there is the Vancouver Farmers Market, which runs each Saturday and Sunday from mid-March through the end of October on streets adjacent to the park. The result is a seemingly constant flow of revelers — and the accompanying traffic and noise — for local residents. There also is the issue of the park’s being closed to outsiders during several weekends in which the facility is rented for large events that charge admission.
All of this reflects a welcome change from Esther Short Park’s former self — which brings us to the genesis of this tale. In the mid-1990s, then-Mayor Royce Pollard was accosted by a vagrant in the park, which at the time was forested and occupied only by, as Pollard puts it, “guys in there doing nasty stuff.” Cleanup efforts returned to the park to the public and triggered a downtown revitalization. Within a couple of years, the blocks on all four sides of Esther Short had new, block-encompassing construction.
That is the condensed version of a story that demonstrates how wise investment can invigorate a city. The reinvention of the park has played a role in turning Vancouver’s image away from “Vantucky” and into “The ‘Couv.” We think “The ‘Couv” sounds much cooler, and the transformation has made the region a magnet for image-conscious ventures such as high-tech startups, artisan communities and that ultimate barometer of hipness — microbreweries.
Yet while the link between Esther Short Park and the vitality of the downtown core is well-established, that brings us back to the original question: What comes next?
With development underway on a waterfront project that could transform the city, it will be essential for city leaders to forge some synergy between Esther Short Park and the new development. Douglas, from the parks program, wondered aloud whether some events would be moved to the riverfront development, and how often events would be booked simultaneously at the two sites.
One key should be to wait for an adequate residential population of the waterfront development. While attractive events can draw people from throughout Clark County or even from Portland, the walking-distance population is an important driver for those events. It also will be important for city officials to facilitate easy travel between the area around the park and the waterfront, perhaps through a horse-drawn or motorized trolley — something to help mark the area as a destination rather than simply a place. Finally, we hope that the number of weekends Esther Short Park hosts closed-access events will be limited, allowing the park to be a park for all citizens.
Regardless of what the future holds, Esther Short Park will remain a key gathering place for a bubbling downtown.
