As expected, Vancouver City Council has given the final green light to the Northeast False Creek Plan, which will signal the controversial demolition of the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts.

The plan to remove the elevated arterial bypass between downtown Vancouver and the Eastside neighbourhoods was approved in a vote by City Council this afternoon following very tense and hostile debates amongst councillors beginning early this morning and a marathon, day-long hearing on January 31 with close to 100 public speakers.

Councillors voted in party lines, with Vision Vancouver councillors supporting the project and the Non-Partisan Association (NPA) councillors voting against. NPA councillor Elizabeth Ball was absent from the vote.

The plan will demolish the viaducts, which are currently used by 45,000 vehicles per day, and Expo Boulevard and create a new,smaller road network on the ground level.

Pacific Boulevard will be reconfigured as a new bi-directional, six-lane road that meets a four-lane extension of West Georgia Street from Beatty Street.

A new neighbourhood will emerge around the new road network and waterfront area, with up to 12,000 new residents including 3,250 residents within 1,800 new social housing units.

Much of the social housing will be located within the new Hogan’s Alley city block – on the eastern end of the viaducts – to acknowledge Vancouver’s early African Canadian community.

“This is a part of Vancouver that was bulldozed under the direction of previous City Councils and no doubt there is an important step to cultural reconciliation and redress,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson in his closing address during the meeting.

There will be a