Bard on the Beach to expand at Vanier Park

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Bard on the Beach Auditorium - Preliminary Design

Last night Vancouver park commissioners voted unanimously to boost audience capacity by more than 50% at Bard on the Beach.

Robert Barr, managing director of Bard on the Beach, told the Park board that the seating increase would take place over two seasons. In 2011, the main-stage-tent capacity will go up from 520 to 750. In 2012, the studio-tent capacity will rise from 240 to 400 patrons.

The park board has asked the festival to conduct a traffic study to determine how to mitigate the impact of an increase in parking demand. Barr said that that the company has already retained a consulting firm, which will deliver a proposed parking and traffic plan based on current and predicted impacts on the neighbourhood.

Last modified: October 19, 2010

6 Responses to " Bard on the Beach to expand at Vanier Park "

  1. I think it’s a great idea to expand capacity. Bard on the Beach is a fun event I’ve attended numerous times and had fun every time. Lets pack it up a little more. Parking may be an issue as the only real parking available in the area is at the HR Macmillan space center and there is no way that will fit a few hundred more cars. Perhaps digging several floors of parking into the ground will help though it’s unlikely to have money in the budget for that.

  2. Bill Barilko says:

    Time to do away with green grassy spaces in Kits Parks altogether!

    Let’s expand the parking lot and pave the rest-if people want it green they can paint it themselves.

  3. Dan says:

    Bill, I use this area of seawall a lot during the summer (and winter, for that matter), and I don’t ever see it being used enough. At least BotB is making use of the land. Let’s celebrate a success story for once.

  4. Bill Barilko says:

    Used enough?

    Should we put housing there?

    Hotels or maybe just a trailer park?

    Strip malls?

    Used enough?

  5. Dan says:

    Don’t overreact. And don’t be so facetious; I obviously didn’t mean that. I am staunchly in favour of retaining public green space for the public. However, I think BotB is a positive addition to the park for a few months.