Halifax agrees to tear down Cogswell Interchange, its counterpart to Georgia Viaduct, to revitalize waterfront

The drive to recover vital downtown land now buried under unwanted freeway interchanges has spread to Halifax, where the dispiriting Cogswell Interchange — Halifax’s counterpart to our own Georgia and Dunsmuir Viaducts — is slated for demolition.

Moving Vancouver another step closer to removal of the Viaducts: next week’s council decision on referring Concord Pacific’s rezoning proposal for Area 5B West to public hearing. This is the last parcel available for Concord to develop before work begins on Area 6, which would trigger redevelopment of the long-awaited Creekside Park extension.

Without the Viaducts, that park will be larger and have more waterfront along False Creek, as well as provide far superior neighbourhood connections and improved road connections.

According to Concord, that final rezoning could come in three years, soon after council makes a final decision on the removal of the Viaducts. That decision will come before the new council some time in 2015.