New Robson Street fan zone could be Vancouver's "Jurassic Park" | Daily Hive

Vancouver City Council to consider creating its own version of a "Jurassic Park" sports fan zone on Robson Street

The 100 block of Robson Street, looking towards Terry Fox Plaza/BC Place Stadium, in downtown Vancouver (left) and a "Jurassic Park" NBA Toronto Raptors live game screening in downtown Vancouver (right). (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive | Toronto Raptors)

Even sports fans in Vancouver might recognize the moniker “Jurassic Park” in the context of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors.

This nickname refers to the vibrant outdoor fan zone outside Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto, where Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs enthusiasts gather for pre-game festivities and live game screenings, hosted by the teams.

Their fan zone is located in the public plaza adjacent to the arena, extending onto a short stretch of street now known as Raptors Way. Formerly the easternmost end of Bremner Boulevard, the street was renamed in 2019 following the Raptors’ historic NBA championship victory.

Toronto’s “Jurassic Park” fan zone is also an ideal place for such celebrations, as the end of the street is bookended by a giant video screen embedded into the arena’s exterior. This easily transforms the space into a lively hub for fans to come together and cheer on their team. Its standing capacity is known to be roughly 5,000 people.

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To the north and south, “Jurassic Park” is respectively physically framed by a TELUS office tower and the Maple Leaf Square complex, which features hotel, retail, and restaurant uses within the lower levels — including the street frontage — and condominiums within the levels above. The plaza and event-friendly street were built about 15 years ago, as part of the area’s transformation with the construction of these buildings.

#WeTheNorth went crazy in Jurassic Park as the @Raptors made history! 🎆 pic.twitter.com/olMuh1NGhy

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 14, 2019

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs watch the live game screening at Raptors Way (“Jurassic Park”/Maple Leaf Square) in downtown Toronto. (Shawn Goldberg/Shutterstock)

And now, the City of Vancouver is set to consider using “Jurassic Park” as inspiration to potentially create its own sports fan zone — perhaps the city’s very own “Lions’ Den” (CFL BC Lions), “The Village” (MLS Vancouver Whitecaps), and/or “The Aquarium” (NHL Vancouver Canucks).

Next week, Vancouver City Council is expected to approve a member motion by ABC city councillor Peter Meiszner directing City staff to formally designate the 100 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver as a “dedicated fan zone and acknowledge its significance and the value it adds to sporting and other events in the city.”

The 100 block of Robson Street is the easternmost end of Robson Street; like “Jurassic Park” on Raptors Way, it is a short span of Robson Street between Beatty Street and Cambie Street — immediately across from the Terry Fox Plaza entrance into BC Place Stadium.

Street view of Raptors Way (“Jurassic Park”), looking east toward the giant video screen outside Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto. (Google Maps)

100 block robson street bc place stadium vancouver

The 100 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver, looking east toward the giant video screen at Terry Fox Plaza/BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The 100 block of Robson Street looking west from Terry Fox Plaza/BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The 100 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. (Google Maps)

The space has similar physical conditions and constraints as “Jurassic Park,” not just for its size but also for the active building uses that frame the street. Towers containing Hotel Blu and the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton are on the north side of the streets, with hotel restaurants and patios for the street frontage, while a new mixed-use building is currently under construction on the south side of the street.

Local developer Amacon is building a 30-storey tower at 828 Cambie Street (150 Robson Street) that incorporates and preserves the heritage brick facade of the Northern Electric Building, previously the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver headquarters.

The new tower itself will contain 131 condominium homes of the Block Residences, while the lower floors will be a 120-room hotel spanning multiple floors of the heritage base podium and the entirety of the attached new six-storey building facing Terry Fox Plaza. A hotel restaurant and coffee shop will provide the building’s Robson Street frontage at ground level.

828 cambie street block residences robson beatty amacon vancouver

Perspective from Terry Fox Plaza/BC Place Stadium; artistic rendering of Block Residences and hotel at 828 Cambie Street (150 Robson Street), Vancouver. (GLB Architects/Amacon)

Artistic rendering of Block Residences and hotel at 828 Cambie Street (150 Robson Street), Vancouver. (GLB Architects/Amacon)

Additionally, like “Jurassic Park,” the 100 block of Robson Street is bookended by a giant video screen embedded into the exterior of BC Place Stadium at Terry Fox Plaza. This screen is typically used to display advertising, but precedent has been set before for its use to broadcast live events, specifically the talks of the first-ever global TED Conference held at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Such existing and new building uses that frame the street make it an ideal spot for a fan zone, in addition to its adjacency to the stadium.

Furthermore, the 100 block of Robson Street already increasingly serves such a fan zone purpose for the Lions and Whitecaps, which have, on occasion, held pre-game street parties with live music, food and beverage vendors, and franchise-specific programming. This past Sunday, this very block was also converted into a street party for the fans descending on BC Place Stadium for the CFL Grey Cup.

Led by the Southsiders, the cherished tradition of Whitecaps fan processions down Robson Street already concludes at this iconic location. And for years, the street banners along Robson Street, between Beatty Street and Granville Street, have proudly showcased alternating designs for the Lions and Whitecaps, seamlessly blending team spirit with a sense of civic pride in the public realm.

Massive crowd outside BC Place, with still over an hour and a half until kick off #GreyCup pic.twitter.com/59ZZ8YlHDl

— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) November 17, 2024

vancouve whitecaps 100 block robson street

Vancouver Whitecaps pre-game fan zone/street party at the 100 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. (Vancouver Whitecaps)

vancouve whitecaps 100 block robson street 1

Vancouver Whitecaps pre-game fan zone/street party at the 100 block of Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. (Vancouver Whitecaps)

In his motion, Meiszner directs City staff to explore making permanent physical improvements to the 100 block of Robson Street to make the space more event-friendly, so that the street can be more quickly and efficiently temporarily converted for fan zone events. This could include an enhanced road surface and sidewalk treatments, as well as new street furniture, lighting, electrical connections, and other embedded permanent equipment and infrastructure, such as retractable bollards to close the space to vehicles.

This specific span of Robson Street also sees low vehicle traffic volumes, and is not used by public transit buses, which makes it easier to perform road closures.

Additionally, Meiszner suggests the enhanced space could also be suitable for other events and community activities, not just fan zones.

The motion specifies the street’s fan zone upgrades could be coordinated with the forthcoming construction project to replace the temporary Beatty Street bike lane with a permanent design, and Amacon’s tower project, which is required to provide public space frontage improvements along Robson Street. However, the most recent artistic renderings for the tower project show expanded pedestrian sidewalks and extensive landscaped areas, which may not be a suitable functional and flexible space for events.

City staff would be asked to report back by early Summer 2025 with a detailed plan, timeline, and budget to perform the upgrades.

Other than “Jurassic Park,” Meiszner also noted Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto and the West Fan Village (Liverpool Football Club fan zone) outside Twickenham Stadium in London as additional examples of successful fan zones.

“Fan zones create a centralized hub of activity around sporting and other major events that fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among fans. The communal atmosphere of a fan zone is not only enjoyable for attendees it also helps to build a strong, unified fan base for teams that helps to boost team morale and a winning spirit,” reads the motion.

“Successful fan zones have been implemented in various cities around the world, each bringing its unique approach to enhancing the fan experience. Fan zones often feature a variety of entertainment options, including live music and interactive games, as well as food and beverage stalls, all of which contribute to a festive and engaging environment for fans.”

vancouver 2010 winter olympics crowds granville street

Crowds on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Sergei Bachlakov/Shutterstock)

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