"Significant announcement" on the future of Playland set for this week | Daily Hive

Model of the concept for the Playland redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Officials with the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) are set to make an unspecified “significant announcement” about Playland amusement park this Friday.

It is unclear what will be announced, but it could potentially relate to major new attractions and rides for Playland or even an update on the long-planned redevelopment of the amusement park into a theme park with a significantly expanded footprint and higher-quality offerings.

Ahead of this past summer operating season, the PNE retired two aging rides — Crazy Beach Party and the Music Express — and opened the new Skybender thrill ride. In late July, it also reopened the iconic Wooden Roller Coaster after completing the most significant retrofit in the ride’s history of over six decades — an 18-month-long project.

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The popular steel Corkscrew roller coaster did not return as an offering for the 2019 operating season and was subsequently permanently removed, leaving a large void in Playland’s major offerings. At the time, the PNE told Daily Hive Urbanized the roller coaster was on a large footprint that is the geographical location from which Playland will expand northwards. This space would be used as a launching point for the growth and addition of new attractions.

Model of the concept for the Playland redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

For over a decade, the PNE has been planning a redevelopment of Playland that transforms the amusement park into a theme park, along with a 50% footprint expansion that grows the site from 15 acres to 22 acres — replacing the vast parking lot and some of the Hastings Racecourse horse barns north of the former site of Corkscrew.

The Playland redevelopment and expansion master plan envisioned a range of numerous new rides and attractions, including new roller coasters, gentle family rides, and even a rapid river. The new Playland — both the existing and expansion footprints — would receive significant theming akin to theme parks in Southern California, according to PNE planners.

In early 2020, the PNE indicated it was finally ready to take the next major steps to advance its plans for the future of Playland, but the sudden onset of the pandemic weeks later put any further movement on hold.

Early concept for the renovation and expansion of Playland at Hastings Park. (PNE)

In June 2021, a City of Vancouver staff report to Vancouver City Council that provided an update on the Playland project noted “significant capital investment is required with estimated capital costs for Playland exceeding available funding sources,” and that the “Playland redevelopment would require significant reinvestment of future revenues.” At the time, City staff also stated the plan to complete the new Playland can no longer be accomplished within a 10-year timeframe before the end of the 2020s, even in multiple phases.

These findings are based on the project’s completed business case, which was delayed in 2020 due to the pandemic. A decision was made by PNE’s board of directors in April 2021 to pause the redevelopment, and revisit the project’s plans in early 2022 with “a focus on reducing the project scope.”

Although the Playland project has stalled to date, City Council in June 2021 approved the construction of a new replacement amphitheatre with a roof cover and a capacity for nearly 10,000 spectators. Revery Architecture has been selected as the designer, and construction is currently expected to begin in late 2024 for an opening in the first half of 2026. The new $70 million amphitheatre is a significant component of the City’s long-term plan for improving Hastings Park and the PNE, filling a mid-sized entertainment need for the region and providing the PNE with a new revenue-generating source.

In late August, the federal government announced $10 million in new capital funding to the PNE for improving infrastructure and making new facility investments.

The PNE is still in the process of recovering from the financial impact as a result of the pandemic. It saw a strong recovery attendance of over 500,000 people for its 2022 PNE Fair.