Deal reached for school in Olympic Village

Vancouver city council and the Vancouver school board have approved entering into a 99-year ground lease for a site for a future elementary school and childcare centre in the Olympic Village neighbourhood.

The site is at the southeast end of False Creek, just west of Columbia Street and adjacent to Hinge Park.

The board is applying to the B.C. Ministry of Education for funding to build the school, which the NDP pledged to fast-track during the 2020 election campaign.

Under the proposed terms of the lease agreement with the city, funding must be obtained and construction must start no later than Jan. 31, 2024, according to city staff. The plan also includes that the VSB would sublease a childcare centre back to the city for a 99-year term. Council approval will be required for funding and for the authority to enter into a development management agreement for the site.

A lack of space for elementary students in Vancouver has been a top concern for the VSB. Last spring, the VSB said more than 200 students were wait-listed for kindergarten at the school in their catchment in Vancouver. Twelve schools were oversubscribed for kindergarten, leaving 229 students without a school in their catchment.

The school board has asked the B.C. government to prioritize an elementary school in Olympic Village, along with a new school for Coal Harbour.